Month: August 2026

For Immediate Release

August 18, 2026

 WASHINGTON – The national racial equity organization Race Forward today announced that W. Kamau Bell will serve as an additional keynote for its 2026 Facing Race conference, taking place November 12-14, in Raleigh, NC. Kamau, a four-time Emmy and Peabody Award-winning comedian, filmmaker, podcast host, and author, joins previously announced keynote speaker Tressie McMillan Cottom, the sociologist, author and New York Times columnist. 

“This is a moment for those who want equity to prevail to unite,” said Race Forward President Glenn Harris. “We are delighted to have Kamau join our conference as he shares the same passion for democracy as our conference attendees. We believe he will offer an unvarnished yet hopeful take on what is possible when we refuse to accept the status quo.” 

Facing Race is the nation’s largest, multiracial, intergenerational, post-election gathering of racial justice advocates across the country. This one-of-a-kind gathering serves as a vital intersection where community organizers, activists, artists, educators, and movement makers come together to build collective power, sharpen strategy, and advance racial justice nationwide.

Kamau has a longstanding relationship with Race Forward, including previous appearances at Facing Race and past service on Race Forward’s board. 

Kamau is best known for hosting the Emmy award-winning CNN docuseries, United Shades of America, where he explored race, identity, and social issues across the nation. He is also a two-time New York Times bestselling author of Do the Work! An Antiracist Activity Book and a  contributing author to Who is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service. In addition to his work as a filmmaker, Kamau also hosts the Who’s With Me? podcast and Substack newsletter, and his current standup tour shares the same name.  

A limited number of media credentials are available for Facing Race. If you are interested in covering the conference, please complete this form by September 30: https://facingrace.raceforward.org/forms/media-credential.

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For Immediate Release

August 10, 2026

WASHINGTON – Race Forward today announced sociologist, author and professor Tressie McMillan Cottom as the keynote speaker for its biennial Facing Race convening, taking place November 12-14, 2026. Facing Race is the country’s largest gathering of racial justice organizers, advocates, scholars, artists, public and civic leaders, and movement builders. 

Dr. Cottom is a towering intellectual whose extensive body of work and public scholarship closely aligns with Race Forward’s work to build a truly multiracial democracy. Her work challenges us to reimagine and transform the systems that determine who is included, who is excluded, and who has the power to shape our collective future. 

“We are keenly aware that this conference is occurring at a time of increasing efforts to undermine democracy,” said Glenn Harris, president, Race Forward. “The throughline between event speakers will be a sharp analysis of the state of race and democracy at a time of unprecedented attacks on both. We could not be more thrilled to have Tressie McMillan Cottom with us. She is exactly who our movement needs.”

As the first post-election gathering of its kind, Facing Race will bring together leaders and practitioners from across the racial justice movement to strengthen alignment and expand the conditions needed for justice, equity, and democracy to thrive. For more than two decades, Facing Race has served as a space for connection and exploration.

The event will occur in North Carolina, the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement. North Carolina, and the South more broadly, has long been a bastion of civil rights struggle and innovation. For example, the founding of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) at Shaw University in Raleigh became a driving force for grassroots organizing across the South. 

The enduring leadership of Indigenous nations whose stewardship of this land predates the state itself, as well as the labor, cultural resistance, and organizing traditions of Black farmers, migrant workers, laborers, and freedom fighters who demanded dignity and justice in the face of systemic opposition. It is only appropriate that we return to the land of our ancestors, with the hope of learning from their triumphs and trials.

“Structural racism remains one of the greatest barriers to realizing a democracy where everyone is truly free,” Harris said. “This moment invites us to reimagine the future, the path forward and the ways in which we work and show up for one another. We will continue this work in North Carolina.”

Facing Race offers attendees unprecedented access to resources, information, cultural experiences, and collaborative opportunities designed to push racial equity forward across movements, sectors, and communities.

Throughout its history, Race Forward has consistently delivered this transformative experience, convening thousands in cities over the years, including Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas, Baltimore, Berkeley, New York, and St. Louis. Each chapter of Facing Race is intentionally rooted in place—honoring the people, histories, and movements that have shaped the fight for justice.

This biennial event has a limited number of media spots. If you are interested in applying for media credentials, please complete this form by September 30: https://facingrace.raceforward.org/forms/media-credential.