UNAPOLOGETICALLY BLACK
We are unapologetically Black in our positioning. In affirming that Black Lives Matter, we need not qualify our position. To love and desire freedom and justice for ourselves is a prerequisite for wanting the same for others.
ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER
We are guided by the fact that all Black lives matter, regardless of actual or perceived sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression, economic status, ability, disability, religious beliefs or disbeliefs, immigration status, or location.
GLOBALISM
We see ourselves as part of the global Black family, and we are aware of the different ways we are impacted or privileged as Black people who live in different parts of the world.
DIVERSITY
We acknowledge, respect, and celebrate differences and commonalities.
We work vigorously for freedom and justice for Black people and, by extension, all people.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AND STRUGGLE
We intentionally build and nurture a beloved community that is bonded together through a beautiful struggle that is restorative, not depleting.
TRANS AFFIRMING
We make space for transgender siblings to participate and lead. We are self-reflexive and do the work required to dismantle cisgender privilege and uplift Black trans folk, especially Black trans women who continue to be disproportionately impacted by trans-antagonistic violence.
WOMANIST
We build a space that affirms Black women and is free from sexism, misogyny, and environments in which men are centered and women are diminished.
EMPATHY
We practice empathy. We engage comrades with the intent to learn about and connect with their contexts.
BLACK VILLAGES
We make our spaces family-friendly and enable parents to fully participate with their children. We dismantle the patriarchal practice that requires mothers to work “double shifts” so that they can mother in private even as they participate in public justice work.
QUEER AFFIRMING
We foster a queer‐affirming network. When we gather, we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking, or rather, the belief that all in the world are heterosexual (unless s/he or they disclose otherwise).
INTERGENERATIONAL
We cultivate an intergenerational and communal network free from ageism. We believe that all people, regardless of age, show up with the capacity to lead and learn.
LOVING ENGAGEMENT
We embody and practice justice, liberation, and peace in our engagements with one another.