Our Vision, Mission,Commitments & Core Values
Vision:
We are practitioners in a world that does not yet exist, therefore we are working for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically targeted for demise. Organizing Black envisions a world where all Black people are free to exist in this world as their full authentic selves. We envision a world where all Black people are economically, politically, and socially free. We envision a world where all Black people are free from chains and cages.
Mission:
Organizing Black is a grassroots, member-led organization dedicated to fighting for the liberation of all Black people by building local power through transformational Black direct action organizing, political education, and participatory governance practices.
Commitments:
We are a commitment to building practices that center survivors while also holding those who cause the harm accountable in a loving, transformative way.
We are a commitment to building and sustaining Black institutions.
We are a commitment to being student teachers.
We are a commitment to spreading the gospel of Ella Baker.
We are a commitment to being transformed in the service of this work.
Core Values:
Black Life: We value and affirm all Black people, including but not limited to, Black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, undocumented folks, folks with records, survivors, women, and all Black lives along the gender spectrum.
Abolition: We are abolitionists and believe that police, prisons, and all institutions that inflict violence on Black people must be abolished. Once these institutions are abolished they must be replaced with institutions that we have never imagined; institutions that value and affirm Black life.
People Power: We are committed to a transformational, radical realignment of power. As such we practice collective participatory governance for the day when we may embody this at scale and collectively determine what our communities need to thrive.
Leadership Development: We are committed to constantly bringing in, training, and supporting the development of new leaders. We believe in a leaderful movement and the only way to do that is to ensure that we are all trained and supported.
Direct Action: We value and believe in the power of Black, transformational direct action. We know there is a long legacy of Black freedom fighters who have used this tactic and we center them while building and reimagine what direct action can look like. We are committed to re-centering in our powerful ancestral knowledge because our ancestors are watching and they got us.