Call for Proposals

We welcome proposals from leaders and organizations, individuals and groups. Your proposal can be an individual presentation, interactive workshop, or moderated panel. Before submitting your application, please review proposal requirements below.

Applications are due by Friday, April 18, 2025 at 11:59PM Central Time.

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#Unflinching: A Call to Action

The 2025 Summit theme is "#Unflinching: A Call to Action." In the summer of 2014, St. Louis residents were faced with a choice: to accept the deadly and dangerous status quo OR to be unflinching and answer the calls to action that had been resonating with people facing racial oppression across the world. Tens of thousands of people decided to face tanks and tear gas, raising their voices for justice, rather than return to "life as normal." A movement led by Black working-class people sparked a global rebellion that reminds us of the choices we are faced with today.

St. Louis residents know what it's like to face a regressive and repressive power structure that values profits over people. We know what it's like to face an uncertain future, and still move forward for the sake of a better future for generations to come. We know that if we are to survive oppression, we will need to lean on and learn from each other.

We hope that the 2025 St. Louis Racial Equity Summit will be an #Unflinching space for us to share wisdom, strategy, and visions for a St. Louis region where, regardless of race and ZIP code, there is justice for all, an opportunity to thrive, and boundless possibility for all of our youth.

Summit Goals

Awareness of Inequity

To engage participants in building their awareness of systemic inequities that exist in the region–from education to housing to healthcare and beyond.

Understanding of Why Inequity Exists

To help participants gain an understanding of the systemic issues at hand and build a plan for how to address them, by exposing them to successful tactics in St. Louis and other regions.

Transforming Towards Equity

To lean into the culture of trying and brainstorming new action strategies. We will look to local leaders of color for thought partnership on dismantling structural inequities.

Proposal Requirements

We need your help to shape this Summit by proposing presentations that emphasize actions that we can and must take toward lasting positive change. Proposals should consider the process, desired outcomes, and role of the community in the calls to action. Proposals should also consider how to impact transformation at an individual, regional, and systems level.

Proposal Selection

Proposals will be selected by the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), which is made up of St. Louis-based residents with experience in grassroots organizing, community event planning, justice, and education. This year, the CAC will be selecting up to 28 breakout sessions and up to 4 panels. Sessions should be either 60, 75, or 90 minutes in length. The CAC seeks proposals aligned with Forward Through Ferguson's three Path to Racial Equity phases: "Building Awareness," "Understanding/Systems Analysis," and "Transforming/Action."

Signature Priorities

We seek proposals that fall into one or more of the following signature priority areas:

Justice For All

Opportunity To Thrive

Safety, policing, courts, democracy, carceral system, etc.

Housing, wealth, neighborhoods, health, transportation, employment, etc.

Youth At The Center

Education, child well-being, childcare, foster and adoptive care, etc.

Racial Equity

Philanthropy, DEIB, movement infrastructure, identity, etc.

Note: While we welcome proposals from across the US and beyond, proposals for the 2025 St. Louis Racial Equity Summit that are grounded in work and perspectives of the St. Louis region will be given priority during the selection process.

Community Advisory Committee

The Community Advisory Committee for the 2025 St. Louis Racial Equity Summit is a powerhouse group of 12 community leaders and organizational voices who are guiding the vision, content, and impact of this year's Summit. Their insights help keep the Summit grounded in community wisdom and driven by action. Committee Members are responsible for providing guidance on the Summit theme and selecting presenters for the Summit. We’re grateful for their leadership and commitment to equity!