We were formed in response to civil unrest in 1967 at the request of then Michigan Governor George Romney, Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh, and business executive Joseph L. Hudson, Jr. to identify what went wrong, what needed to change, and how to make that change happen. Today, NDI moves toward its mission by providing thought leadership, advocating for policy change, and offering direct services including facilitated conversations on race and customized trainings on racial diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.

Our vision is to dismantle racism through systems change and by moving hearts and minds. We do this as an institutional thought leader, an advocate for policy change, and as a catalyst for collective action. Our work is organized around these three strategies, and includes trainings, education, research, advocacy, and partnerships to fight racism at the personal, institutional, and systemic levels.