In 2011, Dara began volunteering with Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) , a national network of white people taking action for racial justice and against white supremacy. In the fall of 2014, Dara helped organize the first SURJ calls of over 800 white people in response to the murder of Mike Brown and the non-indictment of Darrin Wilson.  In January of 2015, Dara became the founding National Coordinator of SURJ.  Dara worked tirelessly to build the network from 12 member groups to over 150 chapters across the US and Canada.  Dara built out the biggest national network of white people taking action for racial justice through base-building, leadership development, coalition building &, campaigns.

Dara offers training, coaching, and support for organizations and individuals on:

Racial Justice

Dara Silverman is a white queer Jewish consultant, somatic coach and trainer with over 20 years with organizations and movements for social, racial, economic and gender justice. She partners with trainers of color to lead organizational change and leadership development initiatives centering racial justice, equity and liberation. Dara partners with white trainers to lead caucuses and trainings specifically for white organizers and leaders on dismantling white supremacy in ourselves, organizations and movements. Previously, she was the founding Director of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) and the Executive Director of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) in New York City.

Dara has been studying Somatics with the Strozzi Institute and Generative Somatics since 2011. She became a Somatic Coach in 2013 and was trained as a Somatics teacher to lead courses by the Strozzi Institute.

Dara lives in the Hudson Valley on Wappinger and Lenape land where she lives on a third of an acre where she grows eight kinds of berries. Dara founded Mutual Aid Beacon in March of 2020 to meet the needs of those most impacted by COVID-19. The group organizes more than 800 volunteers and prepares and delivers meals to 650+ families a week in Beacon, Fishkill and Wappingers in the Hudson Valley.

  • Offering training, tools and support for building a a framework for ongoing organizing, campaign and nonprofit work.

  • Specifically focused on building concrete steps for change within organizations, networks and foundations.

  • for leaders, Boards of Directors and Executive Directors.

See how I keep myself accountable

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See how I keep myself accountable •

  • “Dara Silverman is a critical voice in the newly-invigorated movement of anti-racist white allies. A relentless co-conspirator with leaders of color in the struggle against white supremacy and racial inequity, Silverman’s grasp of movement building strategy is second to none.”

    — Tim Wise, anti-racism speaker and writer

  • “Dara Silverman was masterful in her delivery during our Nonviolent Social Change Symposium. Her ability to effectively engage a multi-ethnic and multi-generational audience on the subject of racism was implausible. Dara’s pragmatic approach to addressing such a deep-rooted and complex issue has proved to be essential to coalescing our citizens with cultural differences. I highly recommend Ms. Silverman’s services to anyone who is seeking solutions to improve race relations within their community.”

    — Brandon A. Logan, San Antonio TX Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission Chairman