Through the ongoing study of the past, we can expand the possibilities of our future. During Black History Month, we face the painful legacy of racial injustice in the United States and celebrate leaders and activists—past and present—who worked and continue to work to dismantle structural racism and advance equity. There are many exemplary local groups that promote Black history and culture, advocate for a more just future, and ensure that the region’s tapestry of stories is as diverse as the people who live them.
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Our nonprofit partners help our region’s young people find their voices, grow, and take charge of their futures.
The Brotherhood Sister Sol creates opportunities for Black and Latinx young people to transform their lives and communities. Founded and headquartered in Harlem, it boasts a 25-year legacy of supporting youth activism through the values of unconditional love, self-definition, critical thinking, personal growth, and lifelong learning. Its programs include leadership development, academics, poetry, mentoring, and farming.
Willie Mae Rock Camp gets its name from Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, one of the first women to perform rock and roll. It offers music education, centering girls who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color, and gender-expansive young people. Participants learn to make instruments and write, record, and produce original music. The program introduces students to work by important women and nonbinary artists and Black artists associated with the Afrofuturism movement.
WESTCHESTER: African American Men of Westchester is an all-volunteer organization with members from the legal, financial, academic, technology, and engineering fields. Members design and run activities and programs, such as education forums, scholarships, voter outreach, health fairs, and sports clinics, that enrich the lives of young people, provide role models, and build stronger communities.
ADVOCACY
These nonprofits organize for more joyful, just, and inclusive communities, today and tomorrow.
African Refuge serves Black people on Staten Island through community health programs, an employment center, and one of the only youth activism programs on the Island, “Let Go and Let Youth Lead.” The program teaches Black teenagers on the North Shore writing, data analysis, and public speaking skills, and to advocate around issues including racial justice, gun violence, and voting rights.
Brooklyn Movement Center helps Central Brooklyn residents improve conditions and create opportunity in their neighborhoods. Since its founding, the agency has addressed police-community relations, LGBTQ rights, public school reform, and more. The Center mobilizes its members to respond in times of crisis, whether to rapidly deliver food to neighbors in need or to organize for justice.
LONG ISLAND: ERASE Racism seeks to eliminate racial disparities and discrimination, particularly in education and housing, through research, advocacy, and organizational trainings. It leads the Education Equity Working Group, a coalition that promotes racial integration and the recruitment of teachers of color in Long Island schools.
ARTS: FILM & MEDIA
While film and media can play an outsize role in shaping and reinforcing cultural beliefs and attitudes and drive an increasingly large portion of the arts economy, Black creators and talent are historically underrepresented, both on-screen and behind the camera. These nonprofits ensure that Black people have opportunities to create and present films and other media, to get financial and community support, and to tell stories that reflect their myriad experiences.
African Film Festival advances the understanding of African culture through the moving image. Its annual film festival features work by African artists whose films show diverse representations of African people and address urgent social issues, such as immigration and state violence.
Black Public Media develops, produces, and distributes film and media about the experiences of Black people. It also seeds projects by Black filmmakers who take creative risks, explore the possibilities of the documentary form, and engage in influential storytelling. In the past decade, it has provided support to more than 300 filmmakers.
Firelight Media was founded by filmmaker Stanley Nelson and producer Marcia Smith to produce socially conscious nonfiction films and support filmmakers of color. It has created award-winning documentaries about people, places, and issues—with a focus on African American history—that are often left out of mainstream narratives.
This list is not exhaustive. There are many incredible nonprofits helping make our region a better place for all; we seek to highlight a few that may not be on your radar, but please reach out to our philanthropic advising department at info@nyct-cfi.org if you would like recommendations tailored to your charitable goals.