On behalf of the Y’s African American CEOs, thank you for attending the Unlearning Systemic Racism Town Hall. Recordings from the town hall — including a special message from Steve Kerr, whose presentation was interrupted due to technical difficulties — are now available at ymca.net/unlearning.
As we learned together on July 1, now is the time to dismantle racism.
We thank the 9,000 registered attendees who joined us on the path toward greater understanding of systemic racism — and for realizing that now is the time. We thank our organizers for their hard work, wisdom and courage — and for realizing now is the time. We thank our incredible presenters for their insights, dedication and faith— and for realizing now is the time.
Now is the time to dismantle systemic racism, in all its manifestations, and we will do so by continuing our work together. In the coming months, we will host additional town halls that will build upon the knowledge previously learned, compelling us to create a comprehensive strategy to end racism in our lifetime. First comes understanding and awareness, then comes strategy and action.
We encourage you, all of you, to stay the course, as now is the time to unlearn systemic racism.
Please share the town hall recordings with your volunteers, staff, colleagues, family and friends. YMCA staff and volunteers can find additional resources — including guidance on how to host a brave space conversation — on Link, the Y’s internal knowledge-sharing platform.
Action Step Reminder: We encourage everyone to host a debrief with fellow attendees from your organization within the next 30 days. Download questions to guide your conversation here.
If you are interested in staying up-to-date on future events, receiving anti-racism resources or collaborating, please complete this short form. For additional support, please contact our planning committee at DIG@ymca.net.
Thank you for joining us on the path toward unlearning systemic racism and stay tuned for information on future town halls.
Yours in the struggle for equity and justice,
David Brown
Chair, African American YMCA CEOs