New Jersey's
Montclair
Race Amity
Initiative
What is the Race Amity Initiative?
Vision
We seek to create cross-racial, cross-cultural friendships and friendship opportunities by serving the community, creating spaces to share our stories, and learning from each other to increase access, equity, social justice and unity.
How did it start?
Race Amity Day is recognized and celebrated in communities across the country and at a state level in Massachusetts and South Carolina. In 2019, at the request of the Montclair Baha'i Faith Community, the Montclair Town Council issued a Proclamation that names the 2nd Sunday in June as Race Amity Day in Montclair.
Race Amity Day Celebrations
In 2021, the first Montclair Race Amity Day event took place in Nishuane Park by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. monument. Stories were told from U.S. and Montclair history about people of different races forging friendships and working together for equity, social justice, and race unity. Lasting connections were made. Since then, a small interracial intergenerational group of like-minded people has met monthly to forge friendships, and to undertake collaborative efforts in the spirit of race amity. That group has become the Montclair Race Amity Initiative.
Race Amity Mural
In January 2022, the Race Amity Initiative enlisted the help of the Montclair High School Art History & Equity Club to design a mural that would depict the ideals of friendship among races and cultures. The final mural design -- pictured above -- came from student Dylan Baddeley (now a graduate). Work on the mural started at last year's Race Amity Day celebration (pictured to the right) and was carried on by high school students and their art teacher, Ms. Brie Kvetkus, throughout the year. We are delighted to announce that the mural was recently completed and will be displayed, with an accompanying plaque, at Montclair High School. A huge thank you to Ms. Kvetkus, Dylan and the students who worked on this! We welcome any ideas for how to express race amity through the arts!