UMass Boston leadership has publicly committed to becoming an antiracist and health-promoting university, and the institutional values and commitments are also intricately tied to an academic freedom that wholly defends the right to teach about race, gender and other equity issues. Currently, more than 30 states have enacted bans or have bans pending related to teaching about critical race theory (CRT), equity and race and gender justice. While anti-CRT legislation is not currently pending in Massachusetts, there have been and remain real threats to racial justice in the city of Boston by entities other than the state. For more than 30 years, the Leadership in Education Department at UMass Boston has demonstrated its commitment to social justice in education, in part, by supporting educators for leadership roles in education, policy and community organizations. As a collective, the community of faculty, students, staff and alumni is committed to research and practice that is grounded in equity, organizational change for racial justice and collaborative leadership. The department is starting a new initiative that opens the department community beyond the structures of their academic programs: the Educational Leadership and Transformation Institute for Racial Justice. The institute will focus on building capacity and sustainability to transform schools, colleges and universities for racial equity.