The Cultural Wellness Center (CWC) and Pohlad Family Foundation are now accepting nominations for the Black Legacy Fellowship cohort. Now in its second year, the one-of-a-kind, community-designed effort aims to invest in the wellness and renewal of Black activists and organizers who are committed to the cause of racial justice in the Twin Cities.
Nominations for this year’s cohort are due on Monday, April 15, 2024. Once nominated, a select group of individuals will be invited to apply for the fellowship. The selection process will prioritize people who have not yet received awards or recognition for their racial justice work. Last year’s seven inaugural awardees were Melvin Giles, DejaJoelle, Farji Shaheer, Anura Si-Asar, Corenia Smith, Princess Titus, and Antonio Williams.
Selected fellows receive $55,000 in unrestricted funds to support their well-being and renewal. Over the course of the 12-month fellowship, participants engage in a self-paced program that prioritizes well-being and renewal so they can continue their work toward racial justice.
Additionally, each fellow has access to a Community Building Fund and can grant up to $15,000 to nonprofit organizations dedicated to the racial justice movement in the Twin Cities.
“What’s powerful about this unique fellowship program is that it was conceived of and designed by community members steeped in the realities of racial justice activism,” said Atum Azzahir, CEO and founder of the Cultural Wellness Center. “Over the past year, we’ve fine-tuned the fellowship process and experience, and we’re looking forward to working with the next cohort of Black Legacy Fellows.”
To be eligible, potential fellows must be:
- an American-born descendant of enslaved Africans;
- at least 18 years old at the time of the application deadline;
- experienced in racial justice work in the Twin Cities;
- reside in the seven-county Twin Cities metro area; and
- unaffiliated with the Cultural Wellness Center or the Pohlad Family Foundation. This includes employees, contractors, or family members of employees or contractors.
“To make deep and lasting change, it’s critical that we lift up and support local Black community leaders and activists,” said Susan Bass Roberts, president of the Pohlad Family Foundation. “The Foundation is committed to advancing racial justice and through programs like the Black Legacy Fellowship, we stand with organizers who are on the front lines leading the way to a more equitable future.”
During the yearlong program, fellows will:
- participate in programming that is rooted in cultural values to strengthen their leadership skills, including Cultural Self-Study with the Cultural Wellness Center;
- practice purposeful renewal;
- connect with elders, coaches, community members and each other to foster an ecosystem of support; and
- share with the community how they defined and engaged in renewal.
In the summer of 2020, the Pohlad family announced a $25 million commitment to racial justice in the Twin Cities. As part of this work, the Foundation established the Racial Justice Grants Committee, which includes members of the Black community, to set strategic direction and make funding decisions.
At the committee’s request, the foundation commissioned a landscape analysis of existing fellowship programs in the Twin Cities. Based upon its key findings, it was determined that Black organizers and activists in the racial justice movement were experiencing burnout at far greater rates than their white colleagues.
The Grants Committee determined that to address this issue; it would co-create a fellowship program with a community partner to provide resources and time for renewal so that Black community leaders could remain in the racial justice work.
Visit www.blacklegacyfellowship.org to learn more about the nomination process, Black Legacy Fellowship, and eligibility. An informational webinar about the fellowship will be held on Monday, March 25, at 12 p.m.; register on the website. If you have any questions, email blf@culturalwellesscenter.org.
Information provided by the Cultural Wellness Center and Pohlad Family Foundation.
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