Imagine Black Futures

IMAGINE BLACK FUTURES HELPS PORTLAND'S BLACK COMMUNITY IMAGINE THE ALTERNATIVES WE DESERVE, BUILDS OUR POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND SUPPORTS LEADERSHIP TO ACHIEVE THOSE ALTERNATIVES.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE JUSTICE (ECJ) THROUGH A BLACK QUEER FEMINIST LENS, WE PROMOTE HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL WELL-BEING BY ENGAGING AND CENTERING PEOPLE FROM HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS. WE DEVELOP AND ADVOCATE FOR RELEVANT SOLUTIONS TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES FACING THEIR COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITY. SUPPORTED BY OUR ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE JUSTICE (ECJ) COUNCIL, WE ORGANIZE AND ACTIVATE THE BLACK COMMUNITY ON RELEVANT ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE ISSUES. FROM CONGESTION PRICING TO GHG EMISSIONS, WE EDUCATE THE BLACK PEOPLE ON POLICIES AND EFFORTS THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT THEIR COMMUNITY. WE BUILD TOWARDS A MOVEMENT THAT WORKS TO DISMANTLE SYSTEMIC ANTI-BLACKNESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM. WE HOPE TO SUSTAIN THE VISION OF A THRIVING, CONNECTED, AND RESILIENT BLACK COMMUNITY. IN 2019, WE CREATED A STRATEGIC PLAN TO GUIDE OUR PROGRAMMATIC VISION FOR THE NEXT 2-3 YEARS WHILE ENGAGING DIRECTLY WITH 68 BLACK PEOPLE AND BLACK ORGANIZATIONS TO DEFINE THEIR CORE ISSUES WITH THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE AND TO ADVANCE THEIR SOLUTIONS THROUGH CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AT THE LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND/OR STATE LEVEL(S). ADDITIONALLY, WE ENGAGED 41 BLACK PEOPLE IN OUR DIGITAL ORGANIZING SITE AND ESTABLISHED OUR ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE JUSTICE COUNCIL. OUR PROGRAM HAS A DECENTRALIZED LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE, ALLOWING EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED BLACK LEADERS TO HAVE AN EQUAL VOICE AT THE ORGANIZATION'S ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE JUSTICE COUNCIL. WE PRACTICE A CONSENSUS DECISION-MAKING STRUCTURE THAT ENABLES ALL PARTICIPANTS TO BE INVESTED IN THE CHOSEN OUTCOME. OUR NEWLY ADOPTED ECJ STRATEGIC PLAN OUTLINED TRANSPORTATION AS OUR ORGANIZING AND ADVOCACY FOCUS FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE JUSTICE PROGRAM. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON PROJECTS SUCH AS ZERO CITIES, A NATIONWIDE INITIATIVE TO CREATE POLICY ROADMAPS AND COMMUNITY TRAINING FOR CITIES WORKING TOWARD AN EQUITABLE ZERO CARBON BUILDING SECTOR.

IMAGINE BLACK FUTURES WORKED WITH THE CHILDCARE FOR OREGON COALITION AND PARENTS TO PASS THE CHILD CARE FOR OREGON PRIORITY BILL (HB 4005) LEADING TO INCREASED FUNDING FOR PROVIDERS WHO ACCEPT EMPLOYMENT RELATED DAY CARE AND INCREASED PURCHASING POWER FOR PARENTS; AND THE CHILD CARE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PACKAGE PROVIDING $21 MIL FOR DIRECT RELIEF PAYMENTS TO CURRENT CHILD CARE WORKERS AND $39.3 MIL TO RECRUIT NEW CHILD CARE PROVIDERS.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE JUSTICE PROGRAMMING: IMAGINE BLACK FUTURES HOSTED OUR FIRST DURAG AND BONNET BLACK E-BIKE RIDE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PGE AND THE PORTLAND BUREAU OF TRANSPORTATION (PBOT). IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BLACK COMMUNITY PORTLAND (BCP), OREGON WALKS, PORTLAND FRUIT TREE PROJECT, AND LIVING CULLY, WE HOSTED A FIVE-PART WALKING SERIES CALLED "BLACK TO NATURE". THIS PORTLAND WALKING SERIES HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE AFRO-ECOLOGY FRAMEWORK.

THE ORGANIZATION'S BLACK SEEDS SCHOOL, PART OF THE BLACK LEADERSHIP ACADEMY (BLA), ADDRESSES OREGON'S NEED FOR A NETWORK OF TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF BLACK LEADERS. THE MOST RECENT COHORT COMPLETED A FIVE-DAY TRAINING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF BLACK MOVEMENT ORGANIZERS, ACTIVISTS, AND STRATEGISTS. THE BLA HAS TRAINED OVER 114 TRANSFORMATIVE BLACK LEADERS WHO SEE THEMSELVES AS KIN A COLLECTIVE, CRITICAL MASS FIGHTING BEHIND, FOR, AND WITH ONE ANOTHER.IMAGINE BLACK FUTURES IS A RECIPIENT OF THE SOCIAL EQUITY & EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (SEED) INITIATIVES GRANT FUND. THE SEED GRANT FUND PRIORITIZES BIPOC- AND WOMEN-LED SMALL BUSINESS INITIATIVES AND PROJECTS, PROGRAMS, OR SERVICES THAT SUPPORT ECONOMIC AND EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITIES MOST IMPACTED BY PAST CANNABIS PROHIBITION.