Building Coalition Beyond Our Usual Circles - Lessons from DC's First Cross-Sector Summit
A WORD FROM IRIS
I’ve been working closely with an incredible coalition and campaign called Anti Racist DC. Led by a committee of six well-known DC advocates and nonprofit leaders, ARDC’s mission is to mobilize people at all levels of power to build a District that actively pursues antiracist policies and practices rooted in racial justice ideas and narratives. This work includes repairing past and ongoing harm, dismantling anti-Black racism, and connecting at the intersections of our work to make optimal impact. My work so far has involved managing campaigns, building key relationships, and helping decide where and when to apply pressure for greatest impact.
Recently, we hosted ARDC’s first Cross-Sector Social Justice Summit, which brought together more than 250 people representing organized labor, city government, nonprofits, academia/education, healthcare, and more. We also had many RSVPs from native Washingtonians and DC residents representing themselves and their communities. As someone existing on all sides of this – as the ARDC Campaign Director, as a DC small business owner, and as a member of the DC community – it is inspiring and comforting to watch a citywide strategy on racial justice emerge.
It was energizing to be in a room full of people who are willing to take collective, sustained action toward making DC more equitable, especially at a time when it is less safe to do. And as a Black woman who is engaged in justice work both personally and professionally, being part of the ARDC’s work is affirming. I encourage you to learn more by signing up for the Anti Racist DC Newsletter at antiracistdc.org/newsletter, and deciding how best to get involved from there.
LESSONS FROM THE ANTI RACIST DC CROSS-SECTOR SUMMIT
Shaping Our Future: DC’s Cross-Sector Social Justice Summit 2025 was ARDC’s first annual major convening. With a tagline of “Unity. Strategy. Action,” Anti Racist DC committee members sought to bring together grassroots activists, local leaders, residents, and other people engaged in social justice work to connect and strategize outside their usual silos. In doing so, we learned several lessons:
Those not directly involved in the work still have a part to play. Building coalition requires us to broaden our definitions of both what this work looks like, and who is doing it. Not every donor will be a funding agency. Not every partner or supporter organization will be non-profit. Not every advocate will be out in the streets, and direct action is not the only type of activism. There are plenty of ways to push the movement forward, and those of us more directly involved can make room for young newcomers, people working outside the social justice space, and people with less access, money, and proximity to power.
In the same vein, revisit what allyship can be. As we align our actions across sectors, it is less important to agree on everything. It’s also not necessary that we use the same strategies and methods. What is important is that we all commit to using what we have to end and repair the harms of racism throughout the District.
New connections are the lifeblood of this work. It’s time to go beyond our usual circles. Go to events that center sectors you’re not usually involved in. Meet someone new and find common ground. This can mean the difference between burnout, collapse, or falling into a rut, and keeping that same energy during this long push toward justice.
“If we can get large numbers of organizations in DC, across different sectors, to all do the same thing at the same time and move in the same direction in terms of our work, we can win things together that, historically, we have not been able to win apart.” - Dushaw Hockett, ARDC Organizing Committee Member
That says it all. A renewed interest in and commitment to working collectively – not just simultaneously – must be nurtured.
