As we were compiling places and causes to help you immerse yourself in fighting racial justice, we realized–there are SO many incredible organizations that have been doing just that and more for so long. So we asked them about it.
Name of the Organization: The Black Collective
IG Handle / Website: @theblkcollective www.theblkcollective.org
In a sentence or two, what does your organization do for the community? We know, that’s hard!
Centering the experiences of the African diaspora, the Black Collective is an organization committed to promoting a shared agenda to elevate political consciousness and amplify the economic power of Black communities.
2020 has been a year that community matters more than ever. How has your organization responded?
Entering 2020, we knew this year would be crucial for the Black community in South Florida due to the key local elections and 2020 census. We began by launching a targeted census engagement campaign, prior to the COVID-19 crisis, to ensure that our community was not undercounted. Our work is led by emergent and long-term community priorities which allowed us to respond to the two current public health crises facing our community, COVID-19 and police violence. As a result of our new reality due to the pandemic, we expanded our efforts to include providing direct relief to individuals and families through our Collective Mutual Aid Fund, where we provide stipends to those financially impacted by COVID-19. We have also responded to the nationwide uprisings against police violence by informing our community on existing policies and beginning the process of imagining public safety strategies which center Black peoples full humanity.
What is your organization’s unique place in the fight for racial justice?
The Black Collective makes room for all of the dimensions and complexities of being Black. We are connected through our common history rooted in our strength and resilience. Our future will be determined by our ability to develop a shared understanding that we must stand, build, and organize across immigration status, ethnicities, sexual orientation, class, age, abilities deeply grounded in our Blackness. We are Black First. Our fight for racial justice and equity is rooted in harnessing both our political and economic power in order to hold existing and future elected officials and others in positions of power accountable.
What’s on deck for the future?
Through direct conversation with our community and equipping them with the tools to make informed decisions – we are creating space, lifting up voices and supporting existing work. In the coming weeks, we will be hosting community conversations and rolling out our plans for these crucial elections.
If you had to line-item for the community the 3 top things the organization needs, what would they be?
1) Donate. Donate to The Black Collective or pay it forward by sharing our Mutual Aid Fund with someone in need.
2) Amplify our work with your networks. Follow us on social media and subscribe to our email lists where we will be sharing policy updates, events and calls to action.
3) Sign up to Volunteer. We will need all hands on deck in the months to come.