@blackjusticefellows
A couple months ago, my friend, Darius Baxter, called me to tell me about a new project he was working on (this is a very common call I get from Darius, one of my most passionate organizer/entrepreneur friends). He shared with me that he’d had enough of powerful people just SAYING that they were going to support Black voices in the fight for Black justice – and he wanted to give ACTUAL resources and meaningful support to the organizers doing the on-the-ground work for their community.
So Darius and his organization, GOODprojects, a nonprofit based in the DC area, partnered with the Greater Washington Community Foundation to bring to life the Black Justice Fellowship. The fellowship has $300,000 that they’re looking to give to 10 organizers in the DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia) area for living expenses.
Within a few weeks, Darius and co-chair Cherrelle Swain had pulled together a team and launched the nominations for their inaugural class of Black Justice Fellows. Nominations are open until November 20th, so get to blackjusticefellows.org and nominate someone today!
The Black Voices for Black Justice Fund DMV is making an investment in innovation for liberation, and has leaned on the DC-based nonprofit, GOODProjects, to bring its mission to life with the Black Justice Fellowship. Ten Black Leaders representing the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia will be selected to receive monetary and meaningful support to scale their activism. They will each receive a personal grant of $30,000 to support their living expenses for a year. Nominations for the first cohort will open Wednesday, October 28, 2020 via an online form at www.blackjusticefellows.org.
Led by visionary committee leaders Angela Rye, Linda Wilson, Tonia Wellons, Cherrelle Swain, and Darius Baxter, The Black Justice Fellows is redefining the way philanthropy identifies and invests in Black leaders.
“Black Leaders have been actively working for years to create a more just America, yet too many are underestimated, underfunded, and underrepresented,” says fund co-chair Baxter. “We declare the success of Black Leaders will not be determined by how much they can fundraise or their proximity to whiteness.”
The Racial Equity in Philanthropy Report states that white-led organizations had budgets that were 24 percent larger than those led by people of color. It also found that groups led by Black Women received less money than those led by Black Men or White Women. Further, disparities by the race of the leader repeatedly persist even when taking into account factors like issue area and education levels.
Co-Chair Tonia Wellons explains, “Historically, we know that there has been an underinvestment in Black leaders who are on the frontlines of fighting for justice and equality. We are excited to help scale the work of emerging leaders in the Greater Washington region by providing financial support so they can continue to live while they lead. This initiative will help elevate the voices of Black leaders and invest in solutions led by Black leaders to fuel their efforts to address structural and systemic racism.”
The Black Voices for Black Justice Fund (DMV) was seeded by the Bridge Alliance Education Fund and Greater Washington Community Foundation. This local initiative stemmed from the national Black Voices for Black Justice Fund which was launched from a partnership between many philanthropic organizations across the country.
"We are pleased to support communities and leaders in the Washington DC area by partnering with the Greater Washington Community Foundation to provide resources to Black leaders at the forefront of community work that is strengthening our communities and our nation,” says David Nevins, Chairman of the Board of Bridge Alliance Education Fund.
For more information about The Black Voices for Black Justice Fund DMV, or to nominate a local leader for the fellowship, please visit www.blackjusticefellows.org or @blackjusticefellows on all social media platforms.