Ending-Racism.org Announces Name Change, Receives Seed Funding, Welcomes New Director
The board of directors of Ending-Racism.org voted to change the name of the non-profit to Ending Racism USA on February 21, 2023. “The new name continues the organization’s mission to end racism,” said Ken Bedell, Ph.D., founder and president, “and reflects our expanding programs and network as we work with others across the United States.”
The board celebrated a $100,000 gift from Suzanne Morgan, an architect, founder of Sharing Sacred Spaces, Inc., in 2002. 9/11 was the catalyst for starting Sharing Sacred Spaces for the purpose of educating people about the world’s religions through architecture.
Suzanne Morgan
Morgan is also a descendant of the abolitionist leader John Brown. Each grew up in Hudson, Ohio, and each left Hudson to carry out their respective callings. She has returned to Hudson where she reconnected with a high school classmate, Barnard Kemter. He is the man whose 2021 Memorial Day speech was cut off by a racist who turned off his microphone as he began talking about Memorial Day’s roots in Black history. The news went viral as far as Australia.
“I am impressed with what this organization has accomplished in just 15 months,” said Morgan. “Volunteers established a strong organizational structure as a non-profit 501(c)(3). They also initiated programs that promise to make a difference as they support local and national anti-racism efforts. I am excited to be able to provide seed funding to advance this important work.”
This generous gift makes it possible for Ending Racism USA to increase programming and move from being all volunteer-based to hiring staff as it continues to grow.
The Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell was welcomed by the board as the founding executive director. She has extensive experience as an anti-racism advocate and manager. She has served as the assistant executive director for Dr. Dorothy Height at the National Council of Negro Women, and as the associate general secretary for justice and advocacy for the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. During the Obama administration, she was director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Education.
Brenda Girton-Mitchell
Girton-Mitchell believes there is a sacred duty to be intentional in promoting personal and community awareness of systemic racism and the way it impacts our lives. She is committed to providing opportunities to equip and empower people with knowledge and skills to work across differences and accept the call to promote racial justice, healing and transformation in their sphere of influence.
About Ending Racism USA
Ending-Racism.org was established in 2021 with a mission to work as advocates and agents for ending racism. In 2022 the organization developed an ambitious program of hosting two national events, including “Heeding King's Call” on the 49th anniversary of the March on Washington; distributing a monthly newsletter highlighting articles on the website; hosting online discussions of movies about racism; initiating a directory of local anti-racist activity; and more.
The new name, Ending Racism USA, aligns with the organization’s vision of a multicultural America where all identity groups empower each other, and this shared power is used to benefit all Americans. In this multicultural nation, no individual experiences greater barriers to achieving personal aspirations and dreams than any other person.
The work of Ending Racism USA focuses on four areas:
- building an organization that models the values of a multicultural society,
- raising awareness of the role the Constitution plays in protecting and preserving racism,
- convening communities of shared learning, and
- supporting local anti-racism activists and activism.
For more information contact:
Ken Bedell
202-744-3225
kbedell@EndingRacismUSA.org
www.EndingRacismUSA.org