This year’s Juneteenth celebration comes amidst a painful moment of reckoning for our country with a legacy of anti-Black racism that continues to permeate our society. While the shocking and abhorrent deaths of Black men, women, and children at the hands of law enforcement may be the most visceral examples of racial inequity, we know the challenges go far deeper. Today we stand in steadfast solidarity with Black-led organizations working to combat anti-Black racism.
A Challenge to Philanthropy
ABFE: A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities, released the following statement, We Must Be in It for the Long Haul, which calls for bold philanthropic leadership to address anti-Black racism.
Elevating Black Leaders
Earlier this year at our national convening, we had the gift of learning from two extraordinary Black women: Stacey Abrams and Marleine Bastien. We invite you to listen to their powerful insights and reflections on their experience as women of color and what is needed to build power in the pursuit of equity for all communities.
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- GCIR 2020 National Convening - Stacey Abrams Key Note Address
Stacy Abrams, recent candidate for Governor of Georgia and founder of Fair Fight, speaks powerfully to the critical importance of leadership, being seen and being heard, and recognizing that we are all in this together in our quest for justice and equity. - GCIR 2020 National Convening - It's Time to Dream - and Dream Big
Marleine Bastien, executive director of the Family Action Network Movement, shares her leadership journey and calls philanthropy to invest in the leadership of black and brown women.
Elevating Black-led Organizations
As the global COVID-19 pandemic began to impact immigrant communities throughout California we were grateful that strong black immigrant-serving organizations were on the ground, providing support to their communities. Through their participation in the California Immigrant Resilience Fund they are ensuring that Black immigrants are not left behind in COVID-19 recovery efforts.
- Black Alliance for Just Immigration, BLMP envisions a world where no one is forced to give up their homeland, where all Black LGBTQIA+ people are free and liberated. We build and center the power of Black LGBTQIA+ migrants to ensure the liberation of all Black people through community-building, political education, creating access to direct services, and organizing across borders. Led by a directly impacted steering committee and staff and housed at the Transgender Law Center and, we build power, community, and knowledge in the U.S., while challenging the role the U.S. plays globally in creating the conditions that force us to leave our homes.
- Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project, BAJI educates and engages African American and black immigrant communities to organize and advocate for racial, social and economic justice. Local BAJI Organizing Committees in New York, Georgia, California and Arizona build coalitions and initiate campaigns among communities to push for racial justice. At the local and regional level, BAJI provides training and technical assistance to partner organizations to develop leadership skills, works with faith communities to harness their prophetic voice, and initiates vibrant dialogues with African Americans and black immigrants to discover more about race, our diverse identities, racism, migration and globalization.
GCIR Solidarity Statement: Black Live Matter
Justice. Belonging. Humanity. Courage. Solidarity.
Grounded in these values that drive our mission, GCIR condemns racism and racial terror. We condemn the racism and racial terror that have oppressed and brutalized African Americans for more than 400 years. We condemn the racism and racial terror that most recently took the lives of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. We condemn the racism and racial terror that pervade law enforcement and the criminal justice system.
Read our full statement.
Impact of Anti-Black Racism on Black Immigrants
- Confronting Anti-Blackness in Immigrant Justice Philanthropy
In this Q&A with NCRP, GCIR PResident Daranee PEtsod urges funders to confront and overcome this implicit and explicit bias for greater impact. - Black History Month: Diversity and Strength of the Black Immigrant Community in the U.S., GCIR, March 2019