Racism is the discrimination or prejudice against others based on their race or ethnic group.
It's an issue that News 5 has not shied away from covering.
In 2019, the YWCA of Greater Cleveland partnered with YWCA USA to initiate an annual virtual challenge to dismantle racism.
It's a space to build more effective social justice habits dealing with race, power, privilege, and leadership.
Over 30,000 people have taken the challenge, which is an app where you can learn about racial inequities that intersect with housing, mental health, disability and music.
Participants read articles, listen to podcasts, reflect on personal experiences and discuss how they can advocate for change.
Fallon Pulley recently took the challenge.
"It's the ugly part and we tend to hide the ugly parts of who we are. And it's important for us to continue to have these conversations and bring things up and understand that racism is, you know structural, it is absolutely systemic," said Pulley.
Pulley said the challenge pushed her to self-reflection and she discovered unidentified traumas that she had not processed.
"Trigger points and being able to see some of that content and being able to sit with your feelings and actually process through those things I think is probably what was the most triggering thing for me. It forced me to do some more work and the work doesn't stop," Pulley said.
The YWCA's Racial Justice Challenge starts on April 17 and ends on May 15.
For more information, click here.
This story is part of A Better Land, an ongoing series that investigates Northeast Ohio's deep-seated systemic problems. Additionally, it puts a spotlight on the community heroes fighting for positive change in Cleveland and throughout the region. If you have an idea for A Better Land story, tell us here.
