Mike Park and Rick Bonde, founders of the Ska Against Racism tour, realize that racism is still one of the most prevalent problems facing our society today.

They know that, in the past, millions of people were killed in the Holocaust, the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. They also know that the United States Constitution proclaims that “all men are created equal.”

But they only have to scan the newspaper headlines occasionally to see that race relations still remained strained. That’s why the duo, with help from Moon Ska Records (the oldest ska-only label in the United States), created the Ska Against Racism tour.

Together, they hope that racism can still be defeated and that their tour can play a small part in its defeat.

“Our society has worked hard to end the problem of racism, sexism and homophobia,” Bonde said in a press release. “Hopefully with the support of the younger generation, we can kick racism off the planet.”

Bonde and Park know that ending racism is certainly an ambitious goal. That is why they have put together such an ambitious project. The Ska Against Racism tour, which will travel to 38 cities in the span of two months, features eight third-wave ska bands that are all dedicated towards raising awareness of racism and the negative effects it causes in the world.

The bands included on the tour are Less Than Jake, the Toasters, Mustard Plug (who replaced the Blue Meanies halfway through the tour), Kemuri, Five Iron Frenzy, MU330, Isaac Green and the Skalars, and the Bruce Lee Band (which features ska legend Parks, who has not toured since leaving his influential third- wave ska band, Skankin’ Pickle, two years ago to form a record label, Asian Man Records).

According to Parks, each group involved with the tour will independently donate an undetermined portion of their tour earnings to an anti-racism organization of their choice. Among the organizations slated to receive donations are Anti Racist Action (ARA), Not In Our Town, Artists for a Hate Free America (AHFA) and the Museum of Tolerance.

The ARA’s main goal is to educate high school students on racism and to promote multiculturalism. The group, which has 60 chapters internationally, also organizes protests against hate group rallies.

Not In Our Town is a watchdog organization that helps to prevent Southern church burnings. The group also provides support to communities who do experience church burnings.

The AHFA, according to the organization’s Web site, is a “nonprofit organization which supports and creates awareness of the people on the front lines of the battles against hate.”

To this end, the organization closely works with the entertainment industry (a short list of the organization’s supporters includes Pearl Jam, Indigo Girls, Beck, Everclear, R.E.M. and Melissa Etheridge) to provide information to young people.

The Museum of Tolerance, according to a press release from the organization, is “an educational center which challenges visitors to confront bigotry and racism and to understand the Holocaust in both historic and contemporary contexts.”

Park believes that the audience should be familiar with each of these organizations and other organizations that help in the fight against racism.

Representatives from each of these non-profit, anti-racial organizations will be at each stop of the tour handing out information about their organizations and what they do to prevent the spread of racism. Additional organizations that will receive donations from the tour’s proceeds will be announced as the tour progresses.

The Ska Against Racism tour will be stopping in Ames this Sunday. The all-ages show, which is sponsored by the M-Shop, will be held at the Arboretum.

However, if it rains, the location will be switched to the Great Hall in the Memorial Union. The concert begins at 2 p.m. and is scheduled to end around 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 ($15 day of the show).