Last weekend in Maryland, MediaJustice Network member Black Youth Project 100 (BYP 100), hosted its annual national convening, bringing together members from its chapters around the country. Founded in 2013 after George Zimmerman was found “not guilty” of murdering Trayvon Martin, BYP100 is a national, member-based organization of 18-35 year old Black activists and organizers dedicated to creating justice and freedom for all Black people.
Through a variety of workshops, sessions and debates, this year’s national convening participants — from chapters in Chicago, DC, Detroit, Durham, NYC, New Orleans, Jackson, Mississippi, Milwaukee, and Atlanta — explored the fundamental principles of organizing and base building, the history of Black queer feminism and why its the lens BYP100 organizes from, the ways members are interested in engaging the 2020 presidential election and more. Most importantly, the national convening served as a container to foster relationships across chapters, which continues to be fundamental in building power in Black communities across the country and around the world.
In addition to these pivotal conversations, BYP100 members also had the opportunity to strategize around how to move forward the national She Safe, We Safe campaign. Launched in April, She Safe, We Safe is a transformative movement campaign to end different forms of gender violence that Black women, girls, femmes and gender non-conforming people endure daily. The campaign’s goals are to increase interventions to gender-based violence that do not rely on the police and to reallocate funding from police into community-based solutions and approaches that will address gender-based violence in Black communities. Anyone can take action with BYP100 by signing the She Safe, We Safe pledge today.
Finally, the convening culminated in a direct action in DC where BYP100 members demanded that the mayor of Washington D.C. invest in local Black communities and divest from the police and other harmful policies.
Check out highlights from National Convening below:
