PROGRAMS
GET IN TOUCH
Raina Allen
Director,
Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative
Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative (DRJC)
Racial Equity & Social Justice
Systemic racism is one of the biggest contributors to poverty, crime, under-education and poor health outcomes in our state. While it’s invisible to the majority, it’s affects are devastating to communities of color. Founded in 2015, the Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative (DRJC) exists to end systemic racism in Delaware.
Today, the DRJC is a diverse group of more than 200 individuals and organizations working to make Delaware better for all people. Together, we work to undo policies and practices that limit opportunities for people of color. We give children and young people access to the skills and resources they need to graduate on-time and succeed in the workforce. Above all, we encourage everyone, regardless of race, to take a stand against injustice in Delaware.
We are working every day to create more equity and opportunity for communities of color in the following areas:
- Criminal Justice
- Education
- Wealth Creation
- Health Equity
- Public Policy
- Youth & Young Adult Development
Delaware Racial Justice CollaborativeÂ
Racial Equity & Social Justice
Systemic racism is one of the biggest contributors to poverty, crime, under-education and poor health outcomes in our state. While it’s invisible to the majority, it’s affects are devastating to communities of color. Founded in 2015, the Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative (DRJC) exists to end systemic racism in Delaware.
Today, the DRJC is a diverse group of more than 200 individuals and organizations working to make Delaware better for all people. Together, we work to undo policies and practices that limit opportunities for people of color. We give children and young people access to the skills and resources they need to graduate on-time and succeed in the workforce. Above all, we encourage everyone, regardless of race, to take a stand against injustice in Delaware.
We are working every day to create more equity and opportunity for communities of color in the following areas:
- Criminal Justice
- Education
- Wealth Creation
- Health Equity
- Public Policy
- Youth& Young Adult Development
WATCH. LISTEN. LEARN.
ELIMINATE INEQUITABLE POLICIES
We mobilize organizations and leaders across the state to effect change in the highest levels of government by advocating for key policy changes in criminal justice reform and education.
CREATE OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILDREN
During COVID-19, keeping kids safe meant moving school online. That caused problems for children without access to the internet. So we created 27 “learning pod” locations to give over 700 children a safe place to learn.
SUPPORT MOVEMENTS FOR CHANGE
The DRJC raised $2.5 million to support causes that further racial equity and social justice. We’ve created a permanent funding resource to help uplift our minority neighbors.
Our 2021 Goals
- Carry forward our Public Policy agenda in the 2021 session of the Delaware Legislature.
- Implement the five-day Racial Equity Challenge.
- Expand partnerships with corporations and foundations.
- Open Freedom School in Sussex County (Summer 2021)
- Expand our Learning Pods initiative.
- Use DRJC’s collective influence to drive systemic change statewide.
- Continue building action plans for our Criminal Justice, Education, Wealth Creation, Health Equity, Public Policy, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion, Marketing & Communication, Youth/Young People, and Evaluations/Performance Measurement workstreams.
- Carry forward our Public Policy agenda in the 2021 session of the Delaware Legislature.
- Implement the five-day Racial Equity Challenge.
- Expand partnerships with corporations and foundations.
- Open Freedom School in Sussex County (Summer 2021)
- Expand our Learning Pods initiative.
- Use DRJC’s collective influence to drive systemic change statewide.
- Continue building action plans for our Criminal Justice, Education, Wealth Creation, Health Equity, Public Policy, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion, Marketing & Communication, Youth/Young People, and Evaluations/Performance Measurement workstreams.
RESOURCES
Recent Policy Successes
During the 2021 session of the General Assembly, we saw groundbreaking legislation passed regarding Black history education, law enforcement transparency, sentencing reform and juvenile-justice reform.
View all Bills
- House Bill 198, which requires school districts and charter schools to implement a Black history curriculum by school year 2022-23.
- Senate Bill 147, which codifies reasonableness as the objective standard for the use of nonlethal and lethal force and establishes that state of mind is the justification as to what a reasonable person would have believed, rather than what the defendant believed. SB 147 also clarifies that chokeholds are considered deadly force.
- Senate Bill 148, which expands the responsibilities of the Division of Civil Rights & Public Trust to include reviewing deadly use-of-force incidents by law enforcement and to review use-of-force incidents that resulted in serious physical injury. Additionally, SB 148 requires that the division release a public report on any incident involving the use of force and that the report include the race of the law enforcement officer who used force, the race of the individual on whom force was used and whether race was a relevant or motivating factor.
- House Bill 195, which requires that certain police officers and employees of the Department of Correction and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families wear a body camera and record interactions with the public in accordance with regulations to be established by the Council on Police Training.
- Senate Bill 15, which increases the Delaware minimum wage to $15 over the course of four years, allowing hard-working Delawareans to better support their families.
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What Can You Do?
Discover how racial inequity and social injustice impacts our community. For five consecutive days each month, participants receive a daily e-mail challenge — and are then encouraged to reflect on how it relates to their own lives.
Sign up for the challenge
Join the thousands of individuals and organizations throughout Delaware who have raised their hands in support of the DRJC. All funds donated to the DRJC will be used to help make Delaware more equitable and fair for everyone.
Donate to DRJC
Get regular updates on the bills and legislation lawmakers are working to appeal and those they’re looking to enact.
Become an Advocate
ELIMINATE INEQUITABLE POLICIES
We mobilize organizations and leaders across the state to effect change in the highest levels of government by advocating for key policy changes in criminal justice reform and education.
CREATE OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILDREN
During COVID-19, keeping kids safe meant moving school online. That caused problems for children without access to the internet. So we created 26 “learning pods” for over 700 children, giving them the resources to learn.
SUPPORT MOVEMENTS FOR CHANGE
The DRJC raised $2.5 million to support causes that further racial equity and social justice. We’ve created a permanent funding resource to help uplift our minority neighbors here in Delaware.
Recent Policy Successes
During the 2021 session of the General Assembly, we saw groundbreaking legislation passed regarding Black history education, law enforcement transparency, sentencing reform and juvenile-justice reform.
View all Bills
- House Bill 198, which requires school districts and charter schools to implement a Black history curriculum by school year 2022-23.
- Senate Bill 147, which codifies reasonableness as the objective standard for the use of nonlethal and lethal force and establishes that state of mind is the justification as to what a reasonable person would have believed, rather than what the defendant believed. SB 147 also clarifies that chokeholds are considered deadly force.
- Senate Bill 148, which expands the responsibilities of the Division of Civil Rights & Public Trust to include reviewing deadly use-of-force incidents by law enforcement and to review use-of-force incidents that resulted in serious physical injury. Additionally, SB 148 requires that the division release a public report on any incident involving the use of force and that the report include the race of the law enforcement officer who used force, the race of the individual on whom force was used and whether race was a relevant or motivating factor.
- House Bill 195, which requires that certain police officers and employees of the Department of Correction and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families wear a body camera and record interactions with the public in accordance with regulations to be established by the Council on Police Training.
- Senate Bill 15, which increases the Delaware minimum wage to $15 over the course of four years, allowing hard-working Delawareans to better support their families.
-
What Can You Do?
Discover how racial inequity and social injustice impacts our community. For five consecutive days each month, participants receive a daily e-mail challenge — and are then encouraged to reflect on how it relates to their own lives.
https://deracialequitychallenge.org/
Join the thousands of individuals and organizations throughout Delaware who have raised their hands in support of the DRJC. All funds donated to the DRJC will be used to help make Delaware more equitable and fair for everyone. https://uwde.org/drjc/give-online/
Get regular updates on the bills and legislation lawmakers are working to appeal and those they’re looking to enact. https://www.votervoice.net/UWDE/Bills
Partial list of DRJC Partners
- AFL-CIO
- ACLU Delaware
- Bank of America
- Brandywine School District
- Christina School District
- Colonial School District
- Delaware Community Foundation
- Delaware State University
- DuPont
- Greater Kent Committee
- Latin American Community Center
- Longwood Foundation
- Nemours
- P&G
- Red Clay Consolidated School District
- Trinity Health
- West End Neighborhood House
- Wilmington University
- WSFS Bank
- YWCA
Will you Join the Fight for Racial Equity & Social Justice in Delaware?
Get in touch with one of our team members to find out how to give, advocate, or volunteer with DRJC.
GET IN TOUCH
Raina Allen
Director,
Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative
WATCH. LISTEN. LEARN.
RESOURCES
Partial list of DRJC Partners
- AFL-CIO
- ACLU Delaware
- Bank of America
- Brandywine School District
- Christina School District
- Colonial School District
- Delaware Community Foundation
- Delaware State University
- DuPont
- Greater Kent Committee
- Latin American Community Center
- Longwood Foundation
- Nemours
- P&G
- Red Clay Consolidated School District
- Trinity Health
- West End Neighborhood House
- Wilmington University
- WSFS Bank
- YWCA
Join the Fight for Equity & Justice in Delaware?
Get in touch with one of our team members to find out how to give, advocate, or volunteer with DRJC.
EN 
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