YWCA has a long history of bringing together (and serving) women and families of all races, long before the word "integration" was even on our nation's lips. Here in Nashville, the YWCA offered women of color housing, education, and a place to swim back in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Today, we carry this commitment forward with new intention.  Our Racial Justice Committee has authored a paper on eliminating racism approved by the full board that states clearly our position and intention. It is the thread that weaves through everything we do, from hiring practices to training staff who work with our clients to making certain those in current programs understand the problem of racism to charting new programs that raise awareness and foster change in the wider community.  As always, we believe education is fundamental to all positive change and is the core of how we at the YW work to eliminate racism.

On the first Saturday of February, the Racial Justice Committee of the Board, hosted a half day event for women and preteen girls, centered on Remember as You Pass Me By, a historic novel by L. King Perez. It is a book about friendship across racial lines in Texas during the trying summer of 1954.  It is written for young readers and it offers insights into America’s ongoing internal struggle of social change.