the dream
fostering solidarity within the African diaspora
Black Ideas Lab invests in the everyday brilliance of the African Diaspora.
We believe in the power of Black communities to design democratic futures that grow community wealth, strengthen economic solidarity, and lay the foundation for collective wellbeing.
Our strategy is to care for the people who care for community. Throughout the African Diaspora, there are grassroots community organizers, caretakers, land stewards, artists, etc who are on the ground building innovative systems for community care and transformation. We see these grassroots visionaries as the R&D team for the African Diaspora and we believe that we can learn from their experiences.
Through our people-powered Guaranteed Income pilot, we create a social safety net for grassroots visionaries at the earliest and most vulnerable stage of their work. We provide spaces for emerging leaders to collaborate, learn with/from each other, and to practice beloved community.
Black communities have always carried the wisdom and imagination needed for a more just world. At a time when so many feel disconnected and discouraged, this is where hope lives: in the vision and leadership of the African Diaspora. Their leadership is a gift to us all, and it is up to us to sustain it.
That is why we must shift the culture. Together, we can create spaces that nurture mutuality, connection, and collaboration. Together, we can sustain those who are doing the hard and beautiful work of caring for our communities and daring to dream new systems into being. This is the heart of Black Ideas Collaborative—and we want you with us.