Mission

The RPA is an independent progressive organization that seeks to unite Richmond’s diverse communities and form alliances with other community-based organizations to actively promote social justice, economic equality, health, environmental protection, and democracy. We work to elect government officials who share these progressive values, and who do not accept corporate donations.

Core Values

• One Richmond. A better Richmond is possible only through our working to achieve unity of the different populations that make up our diverse city. We need a united community effort to take on the problems of economic inequality, crime and violence, and the environmental crisis, which are destroying our children’s future, our infrastructure, and our safety nets.
• Democracy is about people, not corporations. Large corporations have too much power in our society. In all our activities and campaigns, we refuse contributions from corporations and try to answer their power with the voluntary activity of large numbers of people.
• Democracy is about government being transparent, the public making the important decisions, working with elected officials, holding them accountable. It also requires ending the back-room politics of corporations using their power, pulling strings, or buying support through contributions.
• Diversity and respect for each other's ideas. We don't all agree on every issue and invite discussion in our newsletter. We are people who live, work, or are active in Richmond, some for many generations and some who are recent immigrants. We are registered to many parties, or as independents, “declined to state,” and are sometimes not voters. We all agree on the need to build a strong progressive movement where people support each other.