Words Shape Our World

Help Us Advance Racial and Social Justice Through Literacy Education.

2020 changed our world forever. In the midst of the global pandemic, a long-overdue reckoning with racial violence and injustice from our nation’s past — and present — began to take shape. As an organization founded in the struggle for civil rights and tracing our origins to the Emancipation movement, we were inspired by this new wave of activism and engagement.

In response, we created Words Shape Our World, a digital series of literary and social justice events featuring some of today’s most compelling voices. Thousands of people have gathered together online to find inspiration in art, scholarship and activism.

Click on each link below to learn more about our past events, and be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for updates about our upcoming events and programs.