The film was available July 16-19. If you would still like to view bias, it is available
through Hoopla with your Toledo Lucas County Public Library card or on Amazon Prime.

bias: Film Overview

bias is a film that challenges us to confront our hidden biases and understand what we risk when we follow our gut. Through exposing her own biases, award-winning documentary filmmaker Robin Hauser highlights the nature of implicit bias and the grip it holds on our social and professional lives.

Watch the bias Trailer

Community Book Discussions

One of today’s most insightful and influential thinkers offers a powerful exploration of inequality and the lesson that generations of Americans have failed to learn: Racism has a cost for everyone—not just for people of color.

Register Here

*This book is available in all formats through @ToledoLibrary, on the Libby App, Amazon, Barnes and Noble.

A deeply researched and transporting exploration of the legacy of slavery and its imprint on centuries of American history, How the Word Is Passed is beautifully written and illustrates how some of our country’s most essential stories are hidden in plain view.

Register Here

*This book is available in all formats through @ToledoLibrary, on the Libby App, Amazon, Barnes and Noble.

A must-read, 26 artists and scholars, who are immigrants or have ties to multiple countries, reflect on race, ethnicity, nationality, belonging, and the legacy of colonization mostly in the context of a post-2016 America consumed by tensions over immigration and the question of which bodies are welcome.

The strength of this collection is in its diversity—of ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexuality, privilege, experience, and writing style. A gift for anyone who understands or wants to learn about the breadth of experience among immigrants to the U.S.

*This book is available in all formats through @ToledoLibrary

Cultural Conversations With Christine

Weekly conversations to focus on literature that fosters an understanding of oppressed cultures in the USA. These 1-hour conversations will take place virtually on Mondays at 10:00 AM EST. Click here to sign up: bit.ly/CulturalConvos

Monday, September 13 at 10:00 AM EST

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

This short novel is a bestselling coming-of-age classic about a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago

Acclaimed by critics, beloved by readers of all ages, taught in schools and universities alike, and translated around the world

*Available in all formats at the Toledo Lucas County Library, on the Libby App, and on Amazon (110 pages/2 hour audiobook)

Monday, September 27 at 10:00 AM EST

The Refugees
by Viet Thanh Nguyen

The prize-winning author’s short story collection “The Refugees” (2017) was partly inspired by his experiences as a Vietnamese refugee and problems with cultural representation in American pop culture and literature.

Monday, October 11 at 10:00 AM EST

Drama: Fences by August Wilson
(Video on YouTube)

Fences explores the walls we build around ourselves and our loved ones, while also illuminating one family’s struggles in a racist society.

Here is the link to the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoRmIJ7eFMk

Meet Our Facilitator

Christine Nace is a retired English teacher and English Department Head with 37 years of experience in an international school in Rome, Italy. Her passion for literature, in particular Afro-American literature, began at university in the 1970’s where she actively participated in the Civil Rights Movement while earning a degree in English. An avid reader with a strong sense of social justice and the need to continually engage in a struggle against oppression in our society, Christine is eager to create a environment that encourages participants to engage in clear, constructive dialogue with each other about how to deal with racial prejudices and biases. As moderator of a discussion of anti-racist literary texts, she aims to to facilitate a free exchange of ideas in an honest examination of the provoking, challenging and enduring issues of racism and white supremacy which plague America today .She hopes you will join her in this journey towards a deeper understanding these critical issues.

The YWCA of Northwest Ohio and Healthy Lucas County began presenting a series of lunch & learns focusing on health equity in 2020.

See previous Lunch & Learn recordings below:

Racist policies, regulations, and laws have created inequitable communities disproportionately burdened by injury, disease, and premature death. Racism is a risk factor for toxic stress, a root cause of some of the most harmful, persistent, and expensive health challenges for our nation. Toledo/Lucas County is not immune.

We are proud to join with our sister YWCAs to participate in #YWCAHillDay. Our collective efforts can root out injustice, transform institutions, and create a world that sees women, girls, and people of color the way we see them: Equal. Powerful. Unstoppable. Join us in calling on our Membersof Congress to declare that racism is a public health crisis: bit.ly/3wJtPcQ #UntilJusticeJustIs #YWCAHillDay #RacismIsAPublicHealthCrisis

Virtual YWCA at The Capitol, June 17, 2021

Delegates from the Ohio YWCAs met virtually with staff from the offices of Representatie Marcy Kaptur, Senator Rob Portman, and Senator Sherrod Brown to urge them to cosponsor the Anti-Racism in Public Health Act of 2021 (S. 162/H.R. 666) and declare racism a public health crisis.

Support The YWCA of Northwest Ohio Racial Justice Department While You Shop!

“Until Justice Just Is” Tshirt S-XXXL

$20 Each

“Until Justice Just Is” Long Sleeve Shirt S-XXXL

$25 Each

“Until Justice Just Is”Hooded Sweatshirt S-XXXL

$35 Each

*Please allow 2-3 weeks for processing
*If you need your merchandise delivered, please add $5.00/shirt or $8.00/sweatshirt
*Discount for bulk orders
*Please contact acollins@ywcanwo.org with any questions

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

T

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day when the last of the enslaved African Americans in Texas learned that they were finally free – two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth, also thought of as the African American Independence Day or Freedom Day, is a celebration of the official end of slavery. This day has long been observed by African American communities through celebrations, parades, festivals, and annual pilgrimages back to Texas.

While the YWCA of Northwest Ohio already recognized Juneteenth as an agency holiday observed this year on Friday, June 17th – granting staff the day off for reflection and education, on June 17, 2021 the Government declared Juneteenth as a National Holiday. This is a major accomplishment after years of advocacy from several organizers and legislators to recognize Juneteenth’s significance.

Juneteenth holds significance in many other ways, especially this year when our country has seen nationwide incidences of brutal police violence, public acts of racism, voter disenfranchisement, and laws against teaching about the true history of racism. “Juneteenth represents how freedom and justice in the US has always been delayed for Black people.” We can never eliminate racism if we don’t acknowledge our country’s history and how it affects the present and future of Black People. 

On this Juneteenth we celebrate freedom and African Americans’ achievements, culture, and history. We also take this opportunity to reflect on the significant work that still needs to be done to eliminate racism, achieve equity for Black people, and to ensure liberty and justice for all.

Learn more about Juneteenth:

“Juneteenth: A Celebration of Resilience” | National Museum of African American History & Culture

“Juneteenth is a reminder That Freedom Wasn’t Just Handed Over” | Brianna Holt, New York Times Opinion

Stand Against Racism, our annual campaign which builds community among those who work for racial justice, raises awareness about racism, and encourages community members to take action for change.

The 2021 Stand Against Racism Conference was held virtually on April 22nd and 23rd.  

See the highlights below:

Day 1 of the 2021 Stand Against Racism Conference featured Dr. Barbara Love, Dr. Michael Waters and Yulise Waters, Esq. Click Here to watch.

Day 2 of the 2021 Stand Against Racism Conference featured panelists Judge Denise Cubbon, Crystal Ward, Celeste Smith, Dr. Treva Jeffries, Dr. Marvin Whitfield and Robin Reese. Thank you panelists!

Dr. Elhai also presented at Day 2 of the 2021 Stand Against Racism Conference, featured here with our CEO, Lisa McDuffie!

Watch the 2020 Stand Against Racism Conference – Day One
Watch the 2020 Stand Against Racism Conference – Day Two

The YWCA of Northwest Ohio held a 21 Day Racial Justice and Social Equity Challenge from March 1-29, 2021. Over 1,300 people signed up for the Challenge, and nearly 100 companies and organizations participated. The 21 Day Challenge was held in conjunction with several sister YWCAs, and over 18,900 people in 2.600 zip codes participated across the country.

WHAT IS THE 21 DAY RACIAL EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE CHALLENGE?

The challenge is a free tool designed to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership.

Participants are presented with challenges such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, reflecting on personal experience and more. Participation in an activity like this helps us to discover how racial injustice and social injustice impact our community, to connect with one another, and to identify ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination. This is an exciting opportunity to dive deep into racial equity and social justice.

WHAT INSPIRED YWCA’S 21 DAY CHALLENGE

The 21-Day Equity Challenge was created by Dr. Eddie Moore Jr. (#BlackMind) and co-developed with Debby Irving, and Dr. Marguerite Penick (#DiverseSolutions). The plan has been adopted by Organizations, Associations and Corporations all over the nation/world. Dr. Eddie Moore Jr. is the Director of the Privilege Institute in Green Bay, WI. Dr. Moore created the Challenge to not only help people better understand issues surrounding equity, inclusion, privilege, leadership and supremacy, but also to do so in a way that would build a habit of learning by stretching it over 21 days. We are excited to be offering you this 21-Day Challenge in partnership with Dr. Moore.

View Our 2021 Challenge Champions

Join the Racial Justice Facebook Group

Dialogue to Change is a community enrichment program that seeks to create communal programming that efficiently advocates, while simultaneously championing and supporting Whole-Community empowerment and change. Dialogue to Change employs “face to face” facilitated conversation between members of two or more social identity groups, in an effort to positively inform, and wholeheartedly impact all groups about amicable cultural etiquette. With a focus on racial communicative etiquette, Dialogue groups give the participants the safety and freedom to discuss race, cultural differences and shed light on their own implicit biases.

Future sessions are forthcoming. Please click here to complete the interest form.

YWCA supports measures at the national, state, and local levels to advance and ensure human rights for women and girls around the world. YWCA NWO supports the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), a comprehensive, international agreement on eliminating discrimination against women in every sphere – economic, political, and social.