In the summer of 2024, within a short period of time Oulu witnessed several violent hate crimes. What made these crimes exceptionally violent was that some of them were directed at minors with clear racist motives. The events shocked both Oulu and Finland widely. Following the incidents, civil society, city leadership, and residents reacted quickly: residents organized protests, the city held press conferences, and open meetings for racialized communities. These hate crimes highlighted the important role of the city of Oulu in preventing racism. However, racist hatred and violence are not the only manifestations of racism; research shows that racism occurs in various contexts, such as the functioning of societal institutions (structural racism), and between communities and individuals. Eradicating and combating such a broad societal phenomenon as racism requires seamless cooperation from the entire society and all actors. The “Oulu for all” project is developing a replicable local-level model for anti-racism work. Anti-racism activities are cross-cutting actions that require the commitment of more than one actor. Therefore, the project’s goal is to develop a local-level model that broadly engages various actors in the city, including public, private, and third sectors. The aim is to engage different departments of the city’s organization, strategic leadership, employees, as well as decision-makers, companies, sports clubs, associations, religious communities, and other societal influencers, not forgetting to bring the voices of residents to the forefront. The project is undertaking development work in the field of anti-racism, which is unprecedented and unique because it uses a combination of different methods and is implemented in a multifaceted manner. The project is developing a local-level model for anti-racism work, where preventive and corrective work is carried out cross-administratively and is multidisciplinary. Racism can manifest in society as discriminatory norms or practices, for example, in the workplace. It can appear as discriminatory behavior between individuals and groups. Prejudices and fear of the unfamiliar between individuals and groups can serve as a breeding ground for racism. Racism creates inequality and harms not only its targets but the whole society. In the long term, the project aims to reduce societal polarization and enhance the integration of marginalized groups into society and democratic processes. The project’s concrete measures include developing diversity management and anti-racism skills among the city’s staff, particularly addressing structural racism. To promote good intergroup relations and prevent hate speech, the project will initiate dialogues targeted at different residential areas, cooperation and regular discussions between non-Finnish speakers and the city and establish an anti-racism multi-actor network. Additionally, a low-threshold support point will be established for victims of racism, where they can receive information about official processes and services. Through experiential and immersive education, young people will be introduced to perspectives on racism and equality, and the various forms they can take. The project’s message is clear: racism must be addressed – swiftly and effectively!