Through an IMLS-funded project led by an HBCU in Virginia, eight participating institutions developed open and sustainable initiatives to improve the experiences of people of color (POC) working in libraries in resistance to existing racist structures of the field. In this session, presenters will give an overview of the three-year project, themes from across initiatives, and direct actions that others can implement to improve racial and ethnic diversity and inclusion efforts. First, the Leading the Charge grant team will describe how they selected participating institutions across distinct library types and equipped them with consultants and advisors to inform their practice as they carry out a broad range of initiatives that can serve as benchmarks to be replicated by others in the field. Second, several initiative leads will also detail the process for creating internship programs and research surveys to improve POC recruitment efforts and evaluate working experiences. Lastly, the presenters will provide guidelines based on the collaborative nature of the grant's cross-initiative work as well as the evaluative process for iterating and informing their work. The speakers will share their findings and engage in interactive discussions around what does and does not work for POC recruitment and retention as well as how materials will be made openly available so other institutions can implement best practices to ensure POC growth, safety, and satisfaction within libraries.