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Welcome to our monthly Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Newsletter! Stay up to date on the latest headlines, events, actions, and more.
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John,
Part of envisioning and building a world in which all Black people are self-determined, liberated, and free, includes creating relationships that are dedicated to the same goal.
For BLMGNF, those relationships began 9 years ago with organizers who had a vision, and that same vision has carried the organization to incredible heights. Our board members today continue to push that envelope with their expansive backgrounds in combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation.
BLMGNF is charting new horizons for Black Joy and Black liberation, and today John, we want to introduce you to our Board members: D’Zhane Parker, Cicley Gay, and Shalomyah Bowers. Hear from them below!
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Hear Directly From the Board!
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Hi beautiful people, D'Zhane Parker here, you can call me Parker!
I am deeply committed to the Liberation of Black people across the Diaspora…I LOVE being Black and all of its essence. Being a part of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundations Board is an honor, I do not take it lightly, rather as my sacred duty, a calling from the ancestors.
I consider myself a Southern California girl through and through. However, I carry much pride in the history of my lineage. My paternal great, great, great grandmother migrated to Los Angeles, California from Texas in the early 1930's, followed by my great, great grandmother in the early 40's who fled Texas after her father was murdered by police officers. My maternal grandmother moved to Southern California from Roxie, Mississippi in the 1960's because two of her high school classmates were lynched. Both of my parents were born and raised in Southern California. Growing up we would drive from Southern California to Mississippi…what I would pay to be a child again.
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Speaking of childhood, my upbringing connects deeply to why I am committed to ending mass incarceration and state-sanctioned violence, The New Jim Crow. Learning about Black Diaspora history was the norm in my household – my mother taught my siblings about the enslavement of our African Ancestors, and Jim Crow laws. Inevitably, I continued my education on what it means to be Black in America by getting a degree in Pan-African American Studies. My heart shattered into one million pieces when Trayvon Martin was murdered and there was no accountability, a modern-day lynching. Since that day, I made it my personal priority to fight against systematic violence. My heart continues to break for the countless names.
I can't wait to connect more. We have chains to break as we pick up where our ancestors left off on this road to freedom. It is my honor to serve on behalf of the people, all power to the people!
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Hi Team, it's Cicley ❤️
And yes, I was indeed named after THE Cicely Tyson, with whom I was able to spend a lot of quality time, in her final years. My name is just spelled slightly differently because my parents, in the most parental thing they would have intended for, wanted me to be unique.
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But enough about my name, and more about me. I was born in Topeka, Kansas to two educators — in the shadows of Brown v. Board of Education — but I grew up mostly in South Hampton Roads, Virginia. My upbringing seeded the importance of access to education within my core. I began reading at 3 years old and even skipped a grade in elementary school. I'm a true autodidact and love researching, learning, and teaching new things.
I also truly believe in the power of the arts to shape and share narratives about the Black Diaspora. We cannot disentangle Black liberation from Black creativity. And on a personal note, I absolutely LOVE musical theater! Any Color Purple fans?
I'm putting my passion for the arts, creativity, and fostering the imaginations of our young ones at the forefront of the work I'm doing as a BLMGNF Board Member, and I'm committed to undergirding it all with gratitude and love.
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Hi Family – Shalomyah here! ☀️
I'm so excited for us to build a relationship over these next few months. A little about me – I'm the youngest of *eight* siblings (shoutout to all the youngest siblings out there, we're the best!), and I am from California.
Growing up, I was always amazed at how much work my parents put into making sure my siblings and I had food on the table, a roof over our heads, and adequate living.
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However, to this day I do remember our struggles. I remember having been evicted from our home multiple times. I remember seeing my parents stress about how the electricity bill and rent was going to get paid, and simply how we were going to fill up the gas tank.
My family, very similarly to other Black families, had to use the emergency room as our healthcare plan because we could not afford insurance. I know our struggles and perseverance are not unique. Most Black families experience economic oppression. I know our work toward getting free also means the radical transformation of our economy. It means not just surviving in this world, but creating the conditions to thrive.
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BLMGNF is in the midst of a powerful transition down a path never charted before.
We are continuing to unveil new initiatives to increase transparency and accountability and will continue to disrupt what philanthropy looks like in service of Black people. BLMGNF continues to increase operations transparency while tightening compliance operations. Visit our updated Transparency for the latest updates!
We're excited to release our impact report in the coming weeks and to continue to grow our board to help steer the organization through its next evolution!
Together, we're forging a path that sustains Black people for generations, and we believe this is a remarkable step in the right direction.
This conversation is not one-sided. We want to hear your thoughts on the Transparency Center. Take our quick feedback survey.
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