This past weekend, Team #MediaJustice touched down in Atlanta for the Black Movement Convergence, a convening hosted by Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) that brought together Black activists, organizers, advocates and more who are carrying out movement work with the goal of Black liberation and self-determination.
At this current political moment, where white nationalism and the Trump administration’s blatant disregard for Black communities seems to dominant mainstream media coverage and the country’s public debate, it was particularly refreshing to be in a Black-led and centered space to engage in action-oriented conversations with the goal of identifying what is concretely required to achieve our liberation.
Throughout the weekend, M4BL leadership members walked us through their multi-year strategy which includes Electoral Justice, Mass Engagement, Cross-Movement Building, Local Power Building Strategies and Leadership Development. These strategic pillars serve as anchors for M4BL’s Vision for Black Lives, a policy platform with the goal of increasing Black power, freedom and justice. The policy platform’s demands include ending state-sanctioned violence against Black people, reparations, economic justice, increasing our political power and control over our communities and investing in education, health and safety while divesting from criminalizing, caging and harming Black people. As a living and breathing document, there were ample opportunities for Convergence attendees to discuss and debate ways to ensure that the platform captures the needs and the wants of those most vulnerable today, particularly transgender Black women and femmes, Black people living with disabilities and other marginalized members within our community.
Since the inception of this country, white supremacy and other intersecting systems of oppression have been attacking Black people from all sides. As a result, it’s easy to constantly be on the defensive—which can impact our ability to focus on creating the world we deserve. This weekend was a much-needed reminder that our movement work requires us to imagine and vision, not to concede and settle. Let’s continue working toward a world where Black people truly thrive on our own accord. Are you with us?
Relive our favorite moments from this weekend by checking out our live coverage on Twitter and Instagram.
