Black History Now
CELEBRATING EVERYDAY BLACK SUPERHEROES WITH BLACK FUTURES LAB
Community /
February 2022
It’s true what they say: There are real-life superheroes living among us. In this second installment of our multi-part Black History Now series, we’re highlighting the groundbreaking work of Black Futures Lab and the community advocates who are using their superpowers of grassroots organizing to build political power for and in Black communities.
ALICIA GARZA:
PRINCIPAL, BLACK FUTURES LAB
When Alicia Garza founded Black Futures Lab in 2018, she did so with a strategic
approach that engages, affirms, and restores dignity to Black people through public
policy at the local, state, and national levels. “Our philosophy at the Black Futures Lab is
that we believe our community deserves every tool possible to change our own
circumstances,” says Garza. “We fundamentally believe that our communities who are
closest to the pain are also clearest about what things need to happen in order to shift
those conditions.”
ALL OF US HAVE SKILLS AND TALENTS THAT WE CAN BRING TO BEAR TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES STRONGER AND MORE POWERFUL.
– ALICIA GARZA
By meeting Black communities where they are, be it through phone banking or
conducting the Black Census Project — the largest survey of Black people in the U.S.
since Reconstruction — Black Futures Lab is engaging, empowering, and energizing Black
voters to shape the policy discussions that affect their lives.
Garza is adamant, however, that this work cannot be done alone. Since its inception, Black Futures Lab has championed the idea of everyday Black superheroes — the neighborhood organizers who have stepped up to ensure their community has a seat at the table when it comes to creating life-changing policy decisions. “All of us have skills and talents that we can bring to bear to make our communities stronger and more powerful,” says Garza. Read on to meet three of the organization’s community partners that embody this epithet and what inspires them most about the work.
ARIA SA'ID:
CO-FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, THE TRANSGENDER DISTRICT
Addressing intersectionality within Black communities is a priority for transgender
advocate Aria Sa’id. As the co-founder and president of The Transgender District, the
world’s first legally recognized cultural district of its kind based in San Francisco’s
Tenderloin neighborhood, her work revolves around creating an atmosphere that
celebrates the presence, history, culture, and economic empowerment of transgender
people.
I THINK SO OFTEN, BLACK PEOPLE, WE'RE NOT GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY. NO ONE'S TELLING YOU THAT YOU CAN WRITE LAWS OR YOU CAN MAKE LAWS CHANGE.
– ARIA SA'ID
Her work with organizations like Black Futures Lab allows her to push for legislation that not only protects trans individuals, but provides their community with the reparations they deserve. “I am so grateful to be in partnership with Black Futures Lab in terms of public policy advocacy,” says Sa’id. “They are setting the foundation by taking grassroots leaders and giving us the language and the toolkit to go into spaces where legislation is created.”
NWAMAKA AGBO:
CEO OF THE KATALY FOUNDATION & MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE RESTORATIVE ECONOMIES FUND
Nwamaka Agbo utilizes her community organizing skills to attain resources that support
the economic, political, and cultural power of communities of color with the Kataly
Foundation, where she currently acts as CEO. Her work in the philanthropy space is what
ultimately connected her with Black Futures Lab. “I created a framework called
Restorative Economics, which looks to support community-owned and
community-governed projects as a way to transition us out of capitalism and towards a
more equitable economic system,” says Agbo.
I CREATED A FRAMEWORK CALLED RESTORATIVE ECONOMICS, WHICH LOOKS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY-OWNED AND COMMUNITY-GOVERNED PROJECTS AS A WAY TO TRANSITION US OUT OF CAPITALISM AND TOWARDS A MORE EQUITABLE ECONOMIC SYSTEM.
– NWAMAKA AGBO
She credits Black Futures Lab for perfecting the legacy of what our democracy can be. By actually listening to the needs and interests of Black communities, the organization has been able to shift the balance of power in their favor. Agbo also commends local, grassroots organizers for helping everyday Americans understand how policy can impact their day-to-day lives. “I think we have a legacy of people who come from the Bay Area where it's not just about being an activist as a profession, but we have people who are cultural workers, we have people who are teachers, and we have people from so many different walks of life to politicize through how they move throughout the world,” says Agbo. “That is then able to show up in how they participate in shifting power and building power for their community.
CHANEY TURNER:
FOUNDER OF BEYOND EQUITY & CHAIR, CITY OF OAKLAND CANNABIS REGULATORY COMMISSION
Chaney Turner credits the groundbreaking work of past activists in their hometown of
Oakland as the catalyst for the kind of organizing they do now. As the Chair of the
Oakland Cannabis Regulatory Commission and the founder of Beyond Equity, Turner’s
main focus is on education and advocacy in the cannabis space. As a Fellow with Black
Futures Lab’s “Black to the Future Public Policy Institute”, they are also working on policy
that changes the social equity language around cannabis in the state of California.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A DEGREE TO USE YOUR VOICE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE RICH TO USE YOUR VOICE OR YOUR PLATFORM.
– CHANEY TURNER
“It's really an honor to be a part of this Institute that's doing some really transformative work, and being able to connect with other like-minded people that are part of the program to see how we can support each other in our work as well,” says Turner. They find like-minded allies in Black Futures Lab, who have collected beneficial data pertaining to the health of Black people and their needs. “It definitely intersects being that cannabis is a medicine that many of us rely on for PTSD, trauma, and other health benefits,” says Turner.
For Turner, grassroots organizing is all about breaking down the barriers that deter everyday people from wanting to be involved. “You don't have to have a degree to use your voice, you don't have to be rich to use your voice or your platform,” says Turner.
Photos shot on location by Brittsense (A.k.a Brittani Sensabaugh) at Blk Girls Greenhouse in Oakland, CA.
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