Skip to content
< Go to Events

Events

FRE Session Two: The Cultural, Historical & Political Foundations of Racism

In order to undo systems of oppression, it is crucial to understand the foundations of systemic racism in our country. This second session to the 2025 Foundations of Racial Equity (FRE) series will offer opportunities to explore the historical, cultural, and political roots of race and racism in the U.S. Race Forward faculty will help participants understand the origins and applications of racial hierarchies, the four interconnected levels of racism – individual, interpersonal, institutional and structural – and how to begin recognizing and addressing structural racism in the philanthropic field, using practical applications. Trainers will also help participants explore and understand intersectionality as a form of praxis that helps us to understand and collectively address the common threads between racism and other inequalities.

Join us to:

  • Understand the historical, cultural, and political roots of race and racism within the context and frame of white supremacy and anti-Blackness
  • Understand that intersectionality is a lens for seeing the connectedness of race, capitalism and patriarchy
  • Begin learning how to normalize conversations and practices of racial equity in institutions/organizations
  • Learn and discuss relevant language, definitions and terms
  • Learn and discuss the four levels of equity: individual, interpersonal, institutional and structural

Session Two Integration Hour: Friday, October 17 – 2:00 pm ET (1 hour session)

Each session is a 3-hour faculty-led session held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 4:00 pm ET for a total of five sessions. Following each session, there will be an integration hour. Integration Hours are 1-hour lightly facilitated peer-learning spaces between each faculty-led session, where participants can reflect on and apply key themes from earlier sessions to discuss how FRE topics relate to current internal and sector-wide cultural shifts, especially in the face of rapid organizational changes.

Registration: Participants must register for the full 2025 Foundation of Racial Equity series to attend this session.

Speakers

Cielo Cruz

Cielo Cruz is a racial justice educator, facilitator, cultural organizer, and writer. They have lived in New Orleans for over 20 years and in that time, worked closely with numerous organizations in the struggle for racial justice, lgbtq liberation and immigrant rights.

Cruz most recently served in the senior leadership of Race Forward, a national racial justice organization. As Vice President of Movement and Capacity Building, they built a dynamic and diverse team of trainers, coaches, and consultants delivering racial equity training to thousands of employees throughout the non-profit sector.

Cruz came to that work after their tenure as Associate Director of VOTE (Voice Of The Experienced) in New Orleans. Previously, Cruz worked with Safe Streets/Strong Communities, the National Immigration Law Center, SEIU 1991, the Hispanic Apostolate, the Lesbian and Gay Community Center of New Orleans, and People’s Youth Freedom School. Cruz began their racial justice training and facilitation work for the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond in the late 1990s.

They hold an MA in Latin American Studies from the Stone Center at Tulane University and a BA in Race and Gender Studies from New College of Florida.

Ginnie Logan

Ginnie Logan is an equity educator based out of beautiful Durham, NC. With 15 years of instructional experience, Ginnie has facilitated learning at the primary, secondary, university, and organizational levels.

Ginnie is completing her PhD at the University of Colorado in the field of Learning Sciences, wherein she uses critical race, womanist, and Marxist theories to inform her praxis.  As a researcher-practioner,  Ginnie believes that education and research can be used as liberatory tools to mitigate and redress oppressive systems. A core premise of her professional work is that education must include an immediate and direct impact on the lives of the most affected.

When she is not teaching or learning, Ginnie enjoys live theater, patronizing quirky coffee shops, and enhancing her home fermentation skills.

Related Events

See all Events

2025 Foundations of Racial Equity

Foundations of Racial Equity (FRE) provides training for philanthropic practitioners to understand…

  • Remote Learning Series