About Us

In the summer of 2016, a group of Chatham County citizens gathered at the Pittsboro Presbyterian Church to watch “Race: The Power of Illusion” in response to recent acts of racial violence. This gathering catalyzed discussions about what we could do in our community to confront overt and subtle forms of racism that people of color experience on a regular basis. Chatham Organizing for Racial Equity arose from those discussions and is now a growing, thriving force in Chatham County with a vision of racial equity in our communities and institutions. CORE works to deconstruct systemic racism through these primary strategies:

  • COMMUNITY ORGANIZING: We seek to build a community centered around principles of justice and equity. This is essential to achieving lasting change that reaches all parts of our society. We accomplish this by building and strengthening relationships with individuals, community groups, religious organizations, and nonprofits interested in race equity issues. Learn more here.
  • EDUCATION: We seek to raise awareness of systemic racism and strategies for dismantling it. Learn more about our workshops and events. PAGE COMING SOON!
  • RECONCILIATION: The Reconciliation Project is an action plan for engaging the local community in powerful meetings centered on building relationships for a network of support, addressing internalized oppression, and wielding people power in addressing systemic inequities. Facilitating community-based caucus provides the ground for a learning community, allowing homogeneous groups to implement internal accountability and heterogenous gatherings to promote cross-cultural reconnection and growth.  Participants will be able to identify as trauma-informed in recognizing the harmful impact of structural bias on individual well-being and seeking to transform family, community, and organizational practices with the goal of liberation.
  • EVENTS: Our community-organizing project builds and strengthens relationships with individuals, community groups, and nonprofits interested in racial equity issues. Learn about our events and partners in this work.

Our MISSION is to deconstruct systemic inequities and achieve equitable outcomes for all people in Chatham County through education, organizing, and reconciliation.

Our VISION is to achieve racial equity in our communities and institutions in Chatham County.

Leadership Staff

Karinda Roebuck

“The first thing you can do is to understand the problem. When we look at how we got here, 80 percent of our history has been spent in a racialized, segregated, or enslaved way of life and culture.”

Stephanie Terry

“When you’re uncomfortable and you’re so uncomfortable that your skin is itching, that’s when the work starts, that’s when the change happens. Lean into that feeling and explore it more.”