About Us
One of the things that has to be faced is the process of waiting to change the system, how much we have got to do to find out who we are, where we have come from and where we are going.” ~ Ella Baker. As young people raised in the heart of Baltimore City, Michaela Brown, Ralikh Hayes, and Tre Murphy quickly responded to social injustice by becoming young organizers and activists. Organizing Black, formerly Black Leaders Organizing for Change (BLOC) was co-founded in 2016 by Michaela Brown, Ralikh Hayes, Tre Murphy, Hani Bello, Justin Johnson, and Rob Ferrell. They believe that the path to black liberation and a just, fair, equitable democracy can only exist if we begin the hard work of redefining the systems that give way to oppression and racism. The Organizing Black co-founders have a depth of experience ranging from local, state, national, and international grassroots campaigns. Collectively and in community, we are cultivating a social justice movement based on relationships and co-development of leadership at the intersections of social justice. This empowered community shares in processes, decisions, and leadership of the institutional fabric that govern the city. Organizing Black seeks to transform systems and institutions by collective, transparent, and authentic relationships based on mutuality, respect, and justice. We believe that through our centered presence and relationships; through our collective narrative of resilience and transformation, we will build a better society.
Our Team
Michaela Brown, Executive Director
Michaela “Duchess” Brown is the Executive Director and one of the co-founders of Organizing Black. Michaela has 13 years of experience in grassroots direct action organizing. Duchess began as a volunteer for the Baltimore Algebra Project. She volunteered from 2007 until 2012. Then she was hired as a Co-Director (2012) and Lead Organizer (2013). Later Michaela served on the Baltimore Algebra Project Board of Directors (2014-2016).
Before co-founding Organizing Black, she worked at the Baltimore Black Worker Center, where she served as their first coordinator and organizer. Michaela also was apart of Baltimore Bloc and helped lead work from 2014 until 2016, which was during the time they impacted the Baltimore Uprising, Afromation, and the City Hall sit-in.
Michaela help co-found Organizing Black because she believes it is imperative to create safe spaces for Black organizers to learn and grow. She took on the challenge of being Executive Director because she understands the importance of Black women leading and what that means for young Black, women organizers coming up.
MarTaze ‘Taz’ Gaines, Senior Organizer
MarTaze “Taz” Gaines is a young organizer born and raised in West Baltimore, MD. Their organizing mainly focuses on abolition of the carceral state, creating joyous and healing spaces, and fighting for justice in all realms for Black Queer and Trans folk. Taz is passionate about the importance of “memory work.” Memory work, through the oral tradition of songs, stories, and rituals, allows for the resistance of colonization. They use visual and musical art to carry forth the torch for Black Liberation. Taz earned a B.A in psychology from Morehouse College in 2018 and an M.Ed. in Community Development and Action from Vanderbilt University in 2020. To find more about their personal work, visit their website.www.mtgaines.info
Why did I join Organizing Black? In all honesty, this has been a long time coming. I’m excited to move work in a collective of folks that value and affirm my identity and have ideological alignment. More importantly, I’m excited to do this work in the place that molded me.
Ralikh Hayes, Deputy Director
As a young person raised in the heart of Baltimore City, Ralikh Hayes started his journey of combating social injustice by becoming a young organizer in 2007 with the Baltimore Algebra Project as an organizer/math tutor ending his time with BAP in 2015 after serving as Co-Director and Board President. In 2015 Organizing Black was co-founded by Michaela Brown, Ralikh Hayes, and Tre Murphy these three visionaries who believe that the path to black liberation and a just, fair, equitable democracy can only exist if we begin the hard work of redefining the systems that give way to oppression and racism. As the nation sat perplexed as we heard of the death of Freddie Gray. Hayes and OB co-founders Brown & Murphy were already in action leading the Baltimore Uprising. Ralikh has a depth of experience ranging from local, state, national, and international grassroot campaigns. And has participated and been a leader in the school-to-prison-pipeline movement, the Alliance for Educational Justice, Baltimore United for Change, the Movement for Black Lives, and even more.