Hello again, you Beautiful Souls.

Recently several new Black Lives Matters affiliated groups were formed in response to the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man in Minneapolis. But it was not just the newly-formed BLM groups that were called to action. Local longstanding African American organizations began taking a more vocal and forward-leaning stance on the issues of racism and injustice by using their platforms to make changes in areas vital to the community, such as police oversight and accountability, STEM literacy, Black History/Legacy/Arts, and support of Black-Owned business—and that is just to name a few.

With so many groups working in similar areas, there was a growing concern that their messages would be lost or diluted as different voices tried to be heard. But this is a time for intentional unity. With that common goal in mind, several of the local African American organizations joined together to create The Collective Black Voice (CBV), a community voice. This group is comprised of organizations and individuals committed to acting in solidarity. Advocating together for all Black people, to promote and enforce social justice, community, inclusivity, and equity in the areas of health, education, representation, and economic empowerment. This group works collaboratively with others, including allies, to achieve mutual goals that will benefit both the growth and restoration of Black Americans within the community. We are better, stronger, and hold more bargaining power, together.

To date there are over 40 individuals and organizations here in Eastern Washington that have pledged their voice to be part of the collective solution. While the CBV is just getting started, engagement and support is always welcome. If you would like to get involved, support or donate to one of the organization, please send an email to April Augustine or Naima Chambers-Smith SUBJECT: CBV

This is truly a historic moment that offers the chance to make real, impactful and lasting changes. And we are here for it all!

#BetterTogether #CollectiveBlackVoices #BlackLivesMatter

Photo by Oleg Laptev on Unsplash