MIDWEST BASED ORGANIZATIONS

 Based in Washington Park, Assata’s Daughters was founded to address the  gap in programming that builds power and influence among young Black  women, femmes and gender non-conforming people. A core mission for the  group is the abolition of prisons, police, Immigration and Customs  Enforcement and anti-Blackness. Their organizing is informed by Black  feminism, and their programs focus on political education, leadership  development. 

 Chicago Equity and Transformation (EAT), based in Englewood, Garfield  Park and Austin, was founded by formerly incarcerated individuals  dedicated towards creating economic and social equity for Black  Chicagoans on the West and South Sides. EAT does research, policy  development and advocacy aimed at decriminalizing the informal economy  that many rely on. 

 The TRiiBE is a digital media platform showcasing innovative content to  reshape the narrative of Black Chicago. Our original works in journalism  and documentary, alongside creative writing and video, capture the  multifaceted essence of our communities. As an independent, alternative  news source, we hope to unify Black Chicago in the common purpose to  create a safer, more vibrant Chicago. 

 ​First organized in the fall of 2017, the Black Midwest Initiative is a  collective of scholars, students, artists, organizers, and  community-involved people who are committed to advocating for the lives  of people of African descent as they are situated throughout the Midwest  and Rust Belt regions of the United States. 

 My Block My Hood My City offers opportunities for young people in  under-resourced neighborhoods to access amenities not typically  available to them. Their programs encourage youth to explore different  neighborhoods, cultures and cuisines. The organization also offers  opportunities for young people to get involved in STEM programs,  volunteering, civic engagement, and community development.  

 Block Club Chicago is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to  delivering reliable, nonpartisan and essential coverage of Chicago’s  diverse neighborhoods. 

 The Black Star Project (TBSP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, action-based  organization founded in 1996 to provide educational services that  improve the lives of less-advantaged Black communities and to close the  racial academic achievement gap. TBSP accomplishes its mission by  educating, organizing and mobilizing parents and volunteers, and working  with community partners to facilitate a wide variety of solid programs,  high-visibility campaigns and other special initiatives.

From its beginning, TBSP has worked to improve the lives of people in  low-income Black and Latino communities, particularly on the south and  west sides of Chicago. Often, these communities are plagued  with violence, unemployment, and low-academic achievement. TBSP's work  is motivated by its vision that all children, with the support of their  families, neighborhoods and communities, will become 21st-century  global citizens who are globally competent, globally cooperative and  globally compassionate.

 Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus is the only agency in Chicago that focuses exclusively on achieving health equity for the same-gender-loving  Black men. Our programs activate community members as health leaders and support institutions as they transform their operations to better respond to the needs of the same-gender-loving Black men. 

 We engage in local/state level planning groups and coalitions that push forward work that positively impacts the health and wellness of Black  SGL men. This includes increasing accurate and comprehensive representation of the lives and experiences of Black SGL men. We provide mentorship to our brothers to participate in advocacy efforts. 

 Enhance civic participation and empowerment of African immigrants and refugees

Provide leadership and organizational capacity training for African  community-based organizations through the Community Leadership  Development Program

Advocate on behalf of the African community through democratic and  inclusive organizational structures, as well as partnership with other  immigrant rights organizations

Engage in activities that promote the cultural, educational and economic empowerment of African immigrants and refugees...

Affinity is a social justice organization serving the needs of the Black LGBTQ+ community with a particular focus on Black women. 

  We envision a society where being your authentic self is not a liability and differences are fully embraced. 

 We value community, recovery, healthy shared leadership, accountability,  knowledge, safe spaces, critical justice, and reciprocal relationships. 

 Our priorities are in supporting education, health, wellness, and safety, as well as advocacy, organizing, and civic engagement. 

 Invest in our community and engage citizens to build long-term political power.

Through coordinated political action ensure a high quality of life and  access to economic opportunity for members of the Black community in  Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin.

 Empower Black leaders with  the tools, training, and resources needed to organize and guarantee that  their issues, concerns, and values are represented at all levels of  government.

 We work to build homegrown leadership, expand access and opportunity,  and promote an equitable society by engaging and organizing the  leadership of young people. 

 To transform communities through a bold, proactive agenda led by young  people that, in our lifetime, makes the movement to respect and value  black and brown lives a reality. 

 We invest in base building, leadership development, training, and a relational organizing model to build power to affect change in Milwaukee and all of Wisconsin. When  we empower young people to own and drive the work towards justice, we win.  

African American Family Services works with individuals, families and  communities impacted by addiction and mental illness.  From our holistic  standpoint, we provide culturally-specific chemical and mental health  services that impact family preservation and promote community-based  change and wellness in the African American community.

Our mission is to help the African American individual, family, and  community to reach a greater state of well-being through the delivery of  community-based, culturally specific chemical health, mental health,  and family preservation services.

We will act as the preeminent thought and research leader on African American behavioral health and wellness.
 

Afro American Development Association  (AADA) is a non-governmental, non-religious, non-partisan, non-profit  501 (C) 3 humanitarian organization.  Our values are anchored in the  spirit of charity and the value of community empowerment. 

Mission:

Alleviate poverty by supporting vulnerable New Americans and other diverse communities by building the capacities through training, sustainable development, economic empowerment, conflict resolution and peace building. 

 The Network for the Development of Children of African Descent (NdCAD) is a family education center based in St. Paul, Minnesota. We serve  children, families, and communities throughout the Twin Cities  metropolitan area, offering a variety of literacy and cultural  enrichment programs and services for children, youth, and adults.

Our goal is to positively impact the cultural, spiritual, and academic development of
children by working holistically with young people, parents, educators, and the community.
We are a place where the African spirit is nurtured and renewed
We envision a place where African people come together to learn of and from ourselves

 Brown Girls Mentoring was founded in 2016 with a mission to equip Brown Girls with tools to build her self-confidence, develop  relationships, resolve conflict, make wise decisions, work in teams, and  develop practical life skills.  We educate your Brown Girl(s) through  lectures, trainings, activities, simulations, role play, affirmations  and so much more!

Brown Girls Mentoring is here to empower young  Brown Girls in all shades of beauty to know their worth, strive for  excellence, and to embrace their natural beauty.  Our vision is to form lifelong bonds of sisterhood, to build confidence, and to see EVERY Brown Girl win! 

 ROOTT was created by a collective who view the issues surrounding  maternal and infant health as a consequence of structural and  institutional racism. Through our personal relationships and experiences  as people of color, work with one another as doulas, advocates, and  community members, we understood the need to build support that centered  our voices as valid. We believe that our programs and services offered,  based in evidence, will provide a means of addressing the impact of the  stress created by our everyday, lived experiences. We are firmly  grounded in the principles of Reproductive Justice, rooted in autonomy,  human rights, and the trust of Black Women to decide how, where, when,  and if we choose to have children. 

 Urban  Underground is promoting the next generation of leaders committed to building safe and sustainable communities. We advance our mission through youth-led social justice campaigns in the areas of health,  education, public safety, and juvenile justice reform.

Every year Urban Underground reaches out to schools and street corners for teens who are down to make a change in themselves and the city. Our current members and alum will tell you that joining Urban Underground was one of the best decisions they ever made.