“United We End Racism: The 22nd Annual Duck Race And Racial Justice Awards”

Syracuse – The El-Hindi Center for Dialogue and Action at InterFaith Works presents “United We End Racism the 22nd Annual Duck Race and Racial Justice Awards”, a community event which will celebrate the many cultures and strong, diverse communities which work together to end racism in CNY. The details of this engagement are outlined below. 

What: United We End Racism (UWER) is a family friendly event that celebrates our community’s diversity and multi-culturalism while recognizing the on-going racial justice work being done in our community.

The event combines InterFaith Works’ annual events, the Duck Race to End Racism and the Racial Justice Awards, and will be held in-person after two years of virtual events. The Racial Justice Awards recognize and honor individuals and organizations who work towards ending racism and promoting social equity. There will be three awards given this year: adult, youth, and organization. 

Entertainment will be provided by Brownskin Band and other local community performance groups. Food will be available for purchase from Who Want Smoke BBQ. All day activities for kids and families include face painting, crafts, STEM activities by TerraMaker Hall, henna, gaga ball, and of course, duck races and community prizes.  

When: Saturday, June 11 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

Where: Syracuse Inner Harbor 

Event Website: http://interfaithworkscny.org/united 

Get Involved:  

Sponsor a Duck: United We End Racism invites the public to support this event by sponsoring a duck for $5 each. Each duck sponsored will be entered into the community duck race for a chance to win great prizes! Sponsor a duck (or many!) on the event website. 

Volunteer: UWER needs about 100 volunteers to make this event a success. Register to volunteer as an individual or as a group on the event website. 

Sponsors: Thank you to all our sponsors! 

Presenting Sponsors: National Grid and Syracuse University. 

Additional Event Sponsors: Wegmans, 1199 SEIU, Crouse Health, Excellus, Hueber Breuer, Molina Healthcare, Onondaga Community College, Operation Northern Comfort, Price Chopper, Fibison Cleaners, Key Bank, Sage Upstate, Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists, News Channel 9, Terra Science and Education. 

Additional sponsors are still being accepted for this event on the event webpage. 

Community Partners:  

Thank you to our UWER Community Partners that work together to end racism in our community, and who come together to make this event a success. 

2022 Community Partners:  McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center, Heartlight Center for Inner Peace, PGR Foundation, First Baptist Church of Syracuse, Onondaga County Adult & Long Term Care Services, Northside Learning Center, Planned Parenthood of CNY, City of Syracuse Citizen Review Board, IFW’s Senior Services and Center for New Americans, Women Transcending Boundaries, Alzheimer’s Association, the YWCA, Pitcher Hill Community Church, Unity of Syracuse, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, All Saints Church, SAGE Upstate, and Vera House. 

UWER seeks additional Community Partners who are interested in promotion, tabling, or volunteering. Learn more and sign-up on the event website.  

History:   

Through the El-Hindi Center for Dialogue and Action, Central New York has been engaged in a serious, 26-year community organizing effort about racism, race relations, and healing. The cornerstone program — the Community-Wide Dialogue to End Racism — is the longest running dialogue of its kind in the nation. Since 1995, more than 18,000 people have participated in more than 550 dialogue circles. 

Through its dialogue-to-action programming, the El-Hindi Center for Dialogue and Action fosters and promotes leadership development and facilitation skills, increases comfort in talking about race, deepens understanding of implicit bias, and offers sustainable solutions to relationship building, community engagement, and action planning.