Seayoung Yim, Gabe Nishimura, Davida Ingram, Lara Davis, Jude Watson, Jolenta Coleman, Chris Shaw, Nicole Nishimura, Yalonda Allen. Nicole Keenan (not pictured) |
Social Justice Fund’s second ever Momentum Giving Project brought together 10 members, mostly African Americans, and almost all people of color, to fund Black-led organizing in the Northwest.
In just 12 short weeks, they raised $83,653.00 from 249 donors and funded six organizations. Each organization is led by people who identify as Black and organizing to build power for Black communities and improve the quality of Black life in the Northwest.
Blackout WA (Seattle, WA)
BlackOut WA is a Washington State Black advocacy group with a focus on bringing capacity around political advocacy and civic engagement to people of African descent within a U.S. context. Funding will support 3 projects leading up to and during the (1) 2016 BlackOut WA Legislative Summit, (2) the Black Prisoner’s Caucus Legislative Summit at Clallam Bay, (3) 2nd Annual African American Legislative Day.
TEACH (Taking Education and Creating History) (Clallum Bay, WA)
T.E.A.C.H. (Taking Education and Creating History) promotes cultural growth and provides incarcerated men the tools and platform to confront social issues that perpetuate discrimination, inequity and oppression among prisoners and poor communities of color. Funding will support a prisoner-initiated education program formed by the Black Prisoners’ Caucus (BPC) at Clallam Bay Corrections Center.
Peoples Community Medics (Portland, OR)
People’s Community Medics was founded in 2011 by members of the Oscar Grant Committee Against Policy Brutality and State Repression. PCM educates the community and resists the emergency health system’s neglect of the people. Funding will support expansion to the Pacific Northwest and build capacity for direct action organizers to provide on-site immediate trauma care to save lives and stabilize injuries while waiting for emergency vehicles.
Africatown Center for Innovation and Education (Seattle, WA)
Africantown Center for Education & Innovation promotes and facilitates education and innovative community development solutions for people of African descent in the Greater Seattle Area. Funding will support building and sustaining the local Black Student Unions in collaboration with family and community. This work will strengthen the collective power of the Black Student Unions’ ability to champion collaboration, advocacy, and self-determination.
Groundwork Portland (Portland, OR)
Groundwork Portland brings about sustainable and equitable community-led improvement of the physical, natural, and built environment in low-income and communities of color areas of the Portland metro area, while advancing the triple-bottom-line of environmental, economic, and social justice. Funding will support the Women’s Community Action (WCA). WCA will create urban rapid-response teams that act directly to respond to the convergence of environmental, housing, educational, health, economic, and social crises for Black people in the Portland Metro area.
Hilltop Urban Gardens (Tacoma, WA)
Hilltop Urban Gardens (HUG) develops systems for food sovereignty and creates racial and economic justice by building a neighborhood-based network of urban farms and gardens. Funding will support the Black Lives Matter Memorial Garden, which will provide Black people in Tacoma with the skills, tools, and knowledge to grow food, build power. The garden will support the connection, healing, and health of Black people in Tacoma.
Black Autumn (Seattle, WA)
Black Autumn is a youth-led organization that works to unity African American youth across the city of Seattle. Funding will support a Media Justice community garden project that will both provide skills and cultivate a community garden that is community owned with tangible fruits.