Create Bold Spaces
I can name hundreds of thousands of Black sheros and heros who have been cornerstones to help shape and guide Black Communities. I imagined creating a bold space for a Justice League of Black sheros and heros to stand in their truth and share their stories of resistance, resilience, reformation, and restitution called the Black Cornerstones Project. The first step in developing this amazing bold space is bringing together a group of extraordinary folks with rich organizing experiences to discuss resources we can bring to the table. The second step is to carve out a space where their stories and lessons can live by designing a robust website to act as an organizing resource and toolbox for residents who live in Black Communities deeply impacted by the 2020 Uprisings. Your expertise will be valuable and I would love for you or your organization to join our Coalition for the project.
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My name is Shani, I have been a social and racial justice organizer for more than 20 years in the same neighborhood I have lived in all my life. Calumet Heights, is a predominantly working class Black Community and is one of the oldest Black neighborhoods on the Southside of Chicago. Many businesses and structures that have served as pillars to this area have been leveled after the unrest and are no longer accessible to its residents. My story is one experience of how unrest impacts Black Communities, a resounding narrative stained of racial injustices Black people have faced for centuries.
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Who do you know is ready to carve out this amazing bold space for our Justice League?
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Our nation has been at this very same cultural shift too many times before. From the inception of the Transatlantic Slave Trade to Nat Turner’s Revolt, the Silent March, March on Washington, Watts, Detroit, Los Angelos, Oakland, Sanford, New York, Chicago, Ferguson, Baltimore, Hempstead, Minneapolis, Atlanta and beyond there has been unrest. This can leave neighborhoods leveled, communities torn, and residents feeling powerless. Most times when the unrest stops there are a few big wins, little healing, and almost no accountability.
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I learned from the Center for Storybased Strategy, “Power is the ability to shape the conditions around ourselves and others. Those who are powerful get to name people, places, and things and frame what’s possible." This is our moment to embolden Black stories, amplify Black voices, and carve out an amazing space that our Justice League can frame what’s possible.
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Your attendance at this meeting does not commit you or your organization to joining our Coalition; however, the invitation is always open for you to be a member of our tribe.