Racial Justice

Below is a diverse list of organizations that address issues related to racial justice, civil rights, and policing.

American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
ADC is a civil rights organization founded in 1980 by U.S. Senator James Abourezk that defends the rights of people of Arab descent and promotes their rich cultural heritage.

Arab American Civil Rights League (ACRL)
The Arab American Civil Rights League (ACRL) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that advocates for the civil rights of the Arab-American community and works to build coalitions, promote understanding and cooperation, and combat negative stereotypes.

Arab American Institute
The Arab American Institute (AAI) is a non-profit, nonpartisan national leadership organization that was created to nurture and encourage the direct participation of Arab Americans in political and civic life in the United States.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
The ACLU is a large nonprofit organization that works in courts, legislatures, and communities to prevent government abuses and defend and preserve individual rights.

Amnesty International (USA)
Amnesty International is “the world's oldest and largest grassroots human rights organization.” See its Toolkits & Guides and Deadly Force & Police Accountability pages.

Black Lives Matter
The Black Lives Matter Foundation is a global organization that seeks to eradicate white supremacy and to build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities. It also partners with organizations who offer direct services to Black communities.

Campaign Zero
Campaign Zero is a non-profit organization that researches and analyzes policing practices across the country to identify effective solutions to end police violence. It also provides technical assistance to organizers leading police accountability campaigns.

Center for Policing Equity
The Center for Policing Equity uses research and analysis to help communities achieve safer policing outcomes. It has partnered with law enforcement agencies to help them implement policy recommendations.

Civil Liberties Defense Center
The Civil Liberties Defense Center provides educational, legal, and strategic resources to support movements that aim to dismantle the political and economic structures at the root of social inequality and environmental destruction. See its Know Your Rights page.

Color of Change
Color of Change is an online racial justice organization that helps people respond effectively to injustice. It mobilizes it members to challenge and end practices and systems that unfairly harm the Black community.  

Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB)
Formed in 2000, this group "was created to deal with police brutality in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area on an ongoing basis.” The publications tab contains links to resources that may be useful to all activists, including reports, fact sheets, and online tutorials.

Dream Defenders
Dream Defenders is a national organization that advocates for “liberation, justice, and dignity for Black and marginalized people across the United States and beyond.” See its Freedom Papers and Projects pages.

Equal Justice Initiative
The Equal Justice Initiative is a nonprofit organization that works to end mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenge racial and economic injustice, and to protect basic human rights.

Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE)
FIRE is a non-profit, civil-liberties organization that seeks to defend and sustain the free-speech rights of students and faculty members at America's colleges and universities. See its Student Network page for resources about advancing free speech on campus.

Future Voters Project
The Future Voters Project provides resources and information about registering young voters and teaching students about voting rights.  

Indian Law Resource Center
The Indian Law Resource Center is a non-profit law organization that advocates to protect Indigenous peoples' human rights, cultures, and lands. The site contains links to research, resources, and organizations instrumental to winning recognition of Indigenous rights.

Institute for Justice Reform & Innovation (IJRI)
Drake University Law School’s Institute for Justice Reform & Innovation provides resources and training on a number of issues, including implicit bias, sentencing reform, and improving trial procedures.

International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
The IACP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the policing profession through advocacy, research, outreach, and education. Its website addresses topics including Community-Police Engagement and Criminal Justice Reform.

Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
The Japanese American Citizens League is a national organization that works to protect the rights of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.

League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
The League of United Latin American Citizens works "to advance the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health, and civil rights of the Hispanic population of the United States."  

Mapping Police Violence
Mapping Police Violence is a research collaborative that continuously collects data on police killings nationwide to quantify the impact of police violence in communities.

Mothers Against Police Brutality
Mothers Against Police Brutality supports justice for victims of police brutality and deadly force and fights for civil rights, police accountability, and policy reform.

Movement for Black Lives (M4BL)
Formed in 2014, M4BL works with individuals and other organizations to create a policy agenda to win rights, recognition, and resources for Black people.

My Brother's Keeper Alliance
This program of the Barack Obama Foundation collaborates with community leaders and organizations to solve problems affecting young men of color.

NALEO Education Fund
NALEO Educational Fund is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that facilitates full Latino participation in the American political process, from citizenship to public service. 

National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
The National Congress of American Indians is the oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organizations serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities.  

NAACP Legal Defense Fund
The NAACP's Legal Defense Fund uses the power of law, narrative, research, and people to defend and advance the full dignity and citizenship of Black people in America.

National Black Justice Collective (NBJC)
The NBJC is a civil rights organization that seeks to end racism, homophobia, and LGBTQ bias and stigma.  

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
The NAACP is a large civil rights organization that seeks to eliminate race-based discrimination and to ensure the health and well-being of all persons. 

National Lawyer's Guild - National Police Accountability Project
The National Police Accountability Project seeks to hold law enforcement accountable for misconduct in our communities. See its Blog & News.

National Native American Law Enforcement Association (NNALEA)
The mission of the National Native American Law Enforcement Association is to promote and foster mutual cooperation between Native American law enforcement officers, agents and personnel, their agencies, tribes, private industry, and the public.

Native American Rights Fund (NARF)
The Native American Rights Fund provides legal assistance to Indian tribes, organizations, and individuals. It has achieved significant results in areas related to promoting and protecting tribal sovereignty, tribal natural resources, and Indian education.

OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates (formerly known as Organization of Chinese Americans)
This organization works to advance the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans in the United States.

Organization for Black Struggle
This is a Black-led inter-generational organization committed to fighting for social justice. See its Movement Resources page.

Racial Equity Institute
Racial Equality Institute is an alliance of trainers, organizers, and institutional leaders devoted to creating racially equitable organizations and systems. 

Racial Justice Improvement Project
This ABA initiative “is designed to identify and reform policies and practices that produce racial disparities in local criminal justice systems across the country.”

Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ)
Through community organizing, mobilizing, and education, this organization seeks to move white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for racial justice.

UnidosUS (Formerly known as National Council of La Raza)
UnidosUS is a Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization that operates an affiliate network of nearly 300 community-based organizations across the U.S. and challenges the social, economic, and political barriers affecting Latinos. 

United We Dream
This organization works to eradicate discrimination of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. They empower immigrant youth to develop their leadership and organizing skills and to develop campaigns to fight for justice and dignity for immigrants and all people.

Vera Institute of Justice
Founded to promote alternatives to money bail, Vera works to promote the dignity of every person and to safeguard justice for everyone. The Solutions & Research section contains reports on policing, racial bias in prosecution, reducing the use of jail, and more.