Forward Through Ferguson

Anchored in the collaborative, unflinching, and community-driven principles that guided the Ferguson Commission, Forward Through Ferguson serves as an organizational catalyst for leading the St. Louis region on a path toward Racial Equity.

Today, the organization: — Works as a catalyst, connecting and challenging stakeholders across the region to implement the 189 calls to action outlined in the Ferguson Commission report. — Helps organizations and institutions build the capacity they need to dismantle systemic racism. — Serves people of color, who most experience inequity, through a systems approach that will strengthen the region for us all.

Our core principles: 1. We Will Apply (And Model) a Racial Equity Lens 2. We are Committed to Radical Collaboration 3. We are Committed to Radical Listening 4. We are Committed to Policy & Systems Change

Forward Through Ferguson’s approach to racial equity is anchored in five pillars that each contribute to advancing systems change.

• Storytelling: Forward Through Ferguson amplifies the voices of Black and Brown communities by sharing their lived experiences through storytelling. Storytelling can change hearts and minds, inspiring policy and systems change.
• Coalitions: Forward Through Ferguson provides strategic leadership and support for Black-led coalitions and other advocacy groups to increase public support for policy or systems change initiatives. 
• Policy: Forward Through Ferguson conducts research, publishes reports, and creates tools and resources to inform policy recommendations and support advocates seeking to transform St. Louis.
• Capacity Building: Forward Through Ferguson convenes workshops, roundtables, and conferences to help individuals build skills and learn how to effect systemic change. For organizations, Forward Through Ferguson conducts equity assessments, evaluating the state of racial equity within an agency and offering recommendations for improvement. 
• Justice Philanthropy: Forward Through Ferguson works with local foundations and leaders in philanthropy to embrace Justice Philanthropy. Justice Philanthropy is an emerging practice that includes grassroots Black and Brown leaders in the grantmaking process. Justice Philanthropy flips the power dynamic between grassroots organizations and wealth holders, increasing access to sustainable resources for people of color to lead and enact change.

You can learn more about our work and read the Forward Through Ferguson report at forwardthroughferguson.org