The Black Collective Foundation Minnesota is redefining what it means to gather for change. This November, the organization will host The Collective Sum, a three-day multicultural convening designed to advance racial justice, strengthen community, and build bold strategies for collective progress.
The event, taking place November 18–20 in Minneapolis, will feature two nationally acclaimed headliners: Brandon Blackwood, founder and creative director of Brandon Blackwood New York, and Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry and author of Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto.
For Lulete Mola, co-founder and president of the Black Collective Foundation MN, The Collective Sum represents a long-held vision finally realized.
“Growing up in Minnesota, I noticed that sometimes we as Black people are made to feel like our disparity is our culture,” said Mola. “But our culture is in the stories we hold, the love we give, and the traditions we practice. I wanted to create a space here that reflects that brilliance, one where culture and change meet.”
Inspired by vibrant hubs like Atlanta, Chicago, and D.C., Mola imagined a Minnesota-based space where creativity, strategy, and justice could co-exist. The Collective Sum, she explained, “flips the script,” centering Black culture as the mainstream while convening changemakers across race, industry, and geography.
“We’re bringing 400 changemakers together with culture as our backdrop,” Mola added. “Minnesota isn’t always viewed as a national center for innovation and leadership, but it’s time to change that. This community holds extraordinary brilliance, creativity, and resolve.”
A space for rest, creativity, and strategy
The event’s keynote speakers exemplify that creative power. Blackwood, a contemporary fashion icon celebrated for his End Systemic Racism tote and named to the Time 100 Next List in 2024, has become a leading voice for fashion as activism.
“My work has always been about creating a platform for change and advancing a vision of fashion and culture that is inclusive, innovative, and impactful,” said Blackwood.
Hersey, known as “The Nap Bishop,” has built a movement around the radical act of rest. Through The Nap Ministry, she’s helped redefine rest as a form of resistance and community care, particularly for Black people navigating the pressures of grind culture.
A Minnesota moment for movement-building
The Collective Sum’s programming will feature immersive workshops, art, wellness sessions, and learning tracks focused on emerging frontiers, infrastructure, and organizing. Participants, including delegations of grassroots leaders, entrepreneurs, and advocates, will use the space to collaborate, exchange ideas, and renew their spirits.
“Right now, things are really hard,” Mola reflected. “But we can come together and care for each other. The summit will be a full, multi-sensory experience: arts, speakers, ceremonies, coaching, good food. It’s just the place to be.”
While The Collective Sum may become an annual event, Mola said the larger mission of the Black Collective Foundation is permanent.
“We’re building an institution that loves Black people every day, not just when it’s trending,” she said. “We think about our hopes and dreams, not just our struggles.”
About The Black Collective Foundation MN
The Black Collective Foundation MN is Minnesota’s first Black community foundation and a national leader in culturally specific philanthropy. Its mission is simple yet profound: to invest boldly in Black-led organizations, leaders, systems, and ideas, and to realize a Minnesota where all Black people live in dignity, prosperity, and holistic well-being.
Seats for The Collective Sum are filling quickly, with nearly two-thirds of tickets already reserved. Registration closes Friday, November 7. For more information, visit www.minnesotablackcollectivefoundation.org/the-collective-sum.