On June 13, 2021,  groups all over the country celebrated Race Amity Day to spread the word about a movement they are passionate about.

Activities were held in communities from California to Massachusetts and from Alabama to Wisconsin. Events were diverse, including art exhibits and luncheons. Below are reports that have come to NCRA to date.

Alabama – In Alabama, building on relationships nurtured over the years, a newly formed Race Amity Coalition with representatives from members of the American Association of University Women Social Justice Book Group, Bahá’is of Alabama, the Martin Luther King Jr. Association, the NAACP chapter of the Shoals, and clergy joined in recognizing Race Amity Day and the Centenary of the 1921 National Race Amity Conference.

As a result of the Coalition’s efforts, three county commissions and eight cities issued proclamations or resolutions; the Secretary of State issued the first ever State Proclamation of Race Amity Day; the state chairman of the NAACP stated his strong support for the Race Amity effort and pledged to educate state chapters about it and to approach the governor about signing a proclamation in 2022; and a coordinator of the Shoals music festival dedicated an evening of the festival to Race Amity.

Elsewhere, Maryland governor Lawrence Hogan issued a citation honoring Race Amity Day in that state.

In Massachusetts, the mayors of Malden and of Marlborough both proclaimed June 13 Race Amity Day; the Malden event was featured in the Friday, June 18, 2021 edition of the local newspaper, the Malden Advocate. Volunteers in Sudbury held a community food pantry drive, the Foxborough, Heathmere, and Mashpee communities held commemorations, and the Bourne-Wareham Race Amity Committee invited the public to an outdoor luncheon. The organization “Lynnfield for Love” hosted Race Amity Day in Lynnfield, and a Mashpee coalition made up of the Race Amity Committee, the Inclusion & Diversity Committee and the Bahá’i community sponsored an observance. The Lexington Human Rights Committee collaborated with LexArt to host a celebration called, “Lexington: Visions of Race Amity Through Art, Song & Stories,” along with “Visions of Race Amity,” an art exhibit promoting racial tolerance, understanding, and friendship that ran from July 19 – July 3. Citizens for Racial Amity Now (CRAN) of Amherst switched to an online format this year.

In Florida, six counties proclaimed Race Amity Day, while the Race Unity Circle of Hillsborough held a Race Amity Summit. Hayward, California, held a Race Amity Festival involving multiple organizations, and the Alameda County Supervisor organized a Race Amity Festival at Emerald Glen Park in Dublin, CA. The Bahá’i’s of Kenosha and Racine, Wisconsin, joined forces with the Uptown Observer and others to host an event called, “Race Amity Day: Cultivating Friendships”; the publisher of the media site wrote an excellent piece stating, “We need to know each other, so we can listen to each other again.”

More reports are coming in about exciting 2021 Race Amity Day events as the movement continues to spread!

Click the button below to view Race Amity Day resources you can use in your community.