Racial Justice Initiative (RJI)

Dr. Yohuru Williams Sitting in an Auditorium

Racial Justice Initiative (RJI)

The Racial Justice Initiative (RJI) is the leader in historical research and social justice education. We share this research and education with others, empowering people with the capability of addressing and dismantling racial inequities in their communities. Our work is more than education; it is a roadmap for meaningful change.

Pivotal to the RJI is our founder Dr. Yohuru Williams’ groundbreaking work in historical recovery, a foundational step to making change and eradicating barriers. Through transformative learning opportunities, Dr. Williams works collaboratively with individuals and organizations with processing historical recovery. A part of this process includes his framework, the "Six Degrees of Segregation", which doesn't just focus on the past; it connects historical injustices to the present, urging communities to engage in larger conversations about systemic change.

Read more about the history and vision of the RJI.

Contact Us

For any questions about the RJI, please email us at rji@stthomas.edu.

Staying in the Race: Black History, Black Athletics, and the Work of Endurance

Wednesday, February 4
Noon — 1 pm
Virtual

This Master Class uses Black athletics as a lens to reconsider the deeper meaning of Black History Month at its centennial moment. Guided by Carter G. Woodson’s call for education that begins with life as it is and makes it better, the session explores how Black athletes have navigated exclusion, exploitation, protest, and possibility—often carrying the hopes of entire communities on their backs.

Using sports as both metaphor and mirror, this session examines how Black athletes have expanded opportunity while exposing persistent inequities, and how historical recovery allows us to see the road still ahead.

Participants will engage Black history as a long-distance race—marked by moments of triumph, fatigue, resistance, and renewal—and consider how historical recovery helps us understand both the cost and the promise of staying in the race.

A celebration of our heroes - black athletes: People who inspire people who inspire us

Thursday, February 5
5:30 — 7:30 pm
Lee and Penny Anderson Arena, University of St. Thomas

Featuring Tony Sanneh, former professional soccer player.

Dr. Yohuru Williams Speaking at Guthrie Theater Event

Community Outreach

Racial Justice MasterClass

MasterClass is a unique educational program designed to help individuals and organizations advance their work in equity and inclusion.

Learn About MasterClass

Dr. Yohuru Williams Giving Presentation to Event Attendees

Expanding Our Impact

The Continuum Project

Now, five years into this important work, RJI is ready for the next level of impact. While the primary focus will continue to be on the history of racism and better understanding the roots to reimagine a more equitable future, The Continuum Project will extend the work beyond race and inequality into other critical areas of history.

Continuum Project

Support the Racial Justice Initiative

Funding Opportunities

By giving to the Racial Justice Initiative, you are helping us create an informed and empowered citizenry capable of addressing and dismantling racial inequities.

Support the RJI

Interview with Dr. Yohuru Williams while Sitting on a Picnic Table

Nationally-Acclaimed Historian

Media Expertise

Dr. Williams appears in and across all media platforms, locally and nationally, as an expert on history, racial justice, political science, and more. He is a regular contributor on MPR and Almanac and has multiple appearances on the History Channel, including the much-acclaimed Kevin Costner's "The West".

Learn About Dr. Yohuru Williams

News from the Racial Justice Initiative

November 17, 2025

Yohuru Williams, distinguished university chair and founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas, coauthored a USA Today opinion piece on why Black women are facing disproportionate job cuts. And another one for the Minnesota Star Tribune. In both, Williams highlights the long history of undervaluation that shapes the experiences of… The post In the News: Yohuru Williams Pens Two Op-Eds on Black Women in the Workforce appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.

October 27, 2025

Founding Director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas, Dr. Yohuru Williams, sat down with MPR News host Nina Moini to discuss the long and complex history of police reform in Minneapolis, a topic often framed around the events of 2020, but with roots stretching back more than a century. From the… The post In the News: Yohuru Williams on the History of Police Reform in Minneapolis appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
October 23, 2025

Dr. Yohuru Williams, founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas, sat down with Katy Milkman, host of the “Choiceology” podcast, to explain how Jackie Robinson’s restraint and strategic discipline helped dismantle racial barriers in Major League Baseball. From the podcast:Katy Milkman: But the kind of man that it took to do… The post In the News: Yohuru Williams on Jackie Robinson’s Quiet Strength appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
October 16, 2025

History is not confined to textbooks. It lives in stories and the ways people remember, reckon, and reimagine their shared past. That’s a message that is important to Dr. Yohuru Williams, founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative (RJI) at the University of St. Thomas. As a historian and educator, he often turns to various… The post Art as History: ‘This Is Water’ Brings Racial Justice Conversations to Life appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
October 15, 2025

Dr. Yohuru Williams, founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas, recently appeared in a History Channel video that discusses the creation of the Black Panther Party. Williams highlights the timeline and the national impact of the Panthers. In the midst of poverty, racial discrimination, and police brutality, college students… The post Yohuru Williams Highlights Black Panther Party Impact on History Channel Special appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.

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