Stand Against Racism: Until Justice Just Is

April is Stand Against Racism month and at the YWCA Great Lakes Bay Region we will stand Until Justice Just Is! Until Justice Just Is (UJJI) is an annual campaign of YWCA USA, designed to build community among those who work for racial justice and raise awareness about the impact of institutional and structural racism. This annual campaign provides the opportunity for communities like the Great Lakes Bay Region across the United States to find an issue or cause that inspires them to unite their voices to educate, advocate, and promote racial justice. UJJI is one part of our larger national strategy to fulfill our mission of eliminating racism. At YWCA, we believe it is time to be more inclusive in our language and in our campaigns. Since 2015, we have invited countless activists, advocates, and allies to join us in the movement to eliminate racism through our annual Stand Against Racism (SAR) campaign. However, names mean something; names have the power to invite or exclude, to inspire or disempower. While SAR united our efforts against racism, we acknowledge that for many, the word “stand” in its name evoked feelings of ableism, exclusivity, and disempowerment. At YWCA, we have an opportunity to inspire activism and engagement toward a world of equity from all and for all—and we have a responsibility to ensure that that is reflected in the names we use. As we further our own learning in our collective mission to advance justice, we are pleased to announce that our “Stand Against Racism” campaign has been rebranded as “Until Justice Just Is”—UJJI, for short. In addition, Until Justice Just Is has been expanded to the entire month of April to highlight the amazing events and initiatives of YWCAs, partners, and allies.

#UntilJusticeJustIs is a pledge, a call to action, a rallying cry. We’re joining YWCA USA in calling on you to act to dismantle systemic racism and advance Racial Justice— until justice just is. Join us today at justice.ywca.org #UJJI