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Dear friends,
BlackFemaleProject has been in reflection and celebration mode in our 10th anniversary year! One major way we’re living into our anniversary theme, Because of a Black Woman, is with events curated and presented by many of the Black women who’ve supported our work over the years. Our trusted advisors have contributed their gifts and expertise to shape a powerful calendar of events that hits on a wide range of topics.
We’re deeply grateful to have these brilliant and generous women in our corner, and whether or not you’ve made it to any events to date, we hope you’ll join us at one in the coming months. Your presence at events and your financial support help us build long-term sustainability as we make our way back to offering more in-person, paid programming. |
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Please also check out our Because of a Black Woman gallery to find reflections on inspiring Black women all around us, and photos below from our booth at Oakland’s annual Black Joy Parade in February.
Thank you for your loving support throughout 2024! We are here because of you.
Sincerely, Precious J. Stroud |
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LOOKING BACK AT THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2024 |
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Back in February, we had yet another great weekend of community and celebration at the 13th annual Black Vines® wine festival and 7th annual Black Joy Parade. We embraced the opportunity to proudly represent our work at both events.
At the largest Black Vines® festival to date, we greeted more than 1,000 attendees with the debut of our 10 year anniversary gallery walk, information about Teacher Truth, and gifts for Black women. We were also humbled and surprised to receive the Black Vines® Community Impact Recognition award for our decade of commitment to service through storytelling. We continue to be grateful for and inspired by our partnership with Black Vines® and the experience of mutual support as we grow alongside one another.
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| If you missed the in-person experience—or were able to join us and want to relive the high vibe weekend—check out the recap video above! |
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Teacher Truth is growing! We’re humbled to have engaged over 1,500 people in the first quarter of 2024 alone. It’s an honor to play a role in uplifting the voices of Black educators and getting more people to think about how to support them. Here are a couple of highlights from recent opportunities we participated in:
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California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA) Annual Conference |
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| In March, we had the honor to once again present at CAAASA’s powerful annual convening, held this year in San Diego and reflecting on Brown v. Board of Education, 70 years later. Here’s a brief reflection from Director of Programs, Dr. E’rika Chambers, on the motivation for our attendance: |
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“2024 is a Teacher Truth partnership building year, and part of that was building a relationship with CAAASA. Our Strategic Research Advisor, Dr. Tameka McGlawn, had CAAASA at the top of the list when we started to think about conferences where we wanted to present and build partnerships beyond one workshop or one tabling session. We attended to build relationships; to empower educators and educator leaders; to celebrate them and acknowledge all that they do; and to provide a space for them to express themselves and to feel connected to a network of educators across California.” |
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Hewlett Foundation Education Grantee Convening |
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Education is a Public Good was the theme of this year's Hewlett Education Grantee Convening held in Atlanta, GA on May 1-3. Our Teacher Truth team was able to connect with supporters and friends as well as many new education leaders from around the world. Thanks to our partners at The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for showcasing our work. It was a special honor to be a featured participant and share our materials with convening attendees. |
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Keep your eyes out next month for a more in-depth update on what we’ve been up to, but for now, visit our Call-to-Action page for ideas on how you can contribute to a better ecosystem for Black educators. |
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Q1 ORGANIZATIONAL UPDATES |
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PROGRAMS
Increased overall first quarter engagement by nearly 50%
Engaged with 2,028 event participants
(914 more than Q1 of the previous year)
Hosted five core program events
Hosted three Teacher Truth activations and workshops
Co-hosted three partner events and activations |
| COMMUNICATIONS
Launched our newly redesigned website
Grew our audience with a social media reach of 6,500 in the first quarter |
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| OPERATIONS
Developed Operations Manual, including establishing decision-making protocol and Chain of Command for emergencies
Prioritized Culture Building and more cross-team collaboration
Engaged external partners for facilitation support |
| FUNDRAISING
Hired Database Administrator
Engaged with new funder networks including two major foundations
Launched our 10-Year Anniversary Because of a Black Woman campaign
Launched our Women’s History Month fundraising campaign |
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OUR NEW AND IMPROVED WEBSITEHave you checked out our updated website yet? One thing we want to be sure our network knows about the site is that our blog is organized by the three main content categories: Wellness, Wisdom, and Work.
In the Work section, you can find our recently revamped professional roadmap. We created this tool to share recommendations with women at all stages of the professional journey. Check it out for tips on helpful steps to take wherever you’re at in your career. If you’re already doing these things, give yourself a pat on the back and share the roadmap with a sisterfriend who might benefit from it! |
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We update the blog regularly with events and other news, and once each month with hand-picked wellness resources that correspond to the monthly theme of our wellness calendar. We hope you’ll spend some time exploring the wealth of inspirational and insightful content we’ve curated for you! |
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| | BlackFemaleProject is only possible because of the generosity, expertise, and trust that exists among our network. We deeply appreciate our supportive community and love lifting up the people and organizations who are a part of it. |
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| “We have a community here of elders. We have our young sisters, and we have all of us who are right in between loving one another, uplifting one another, and supporting one another.”
DR. PATRICIA BRENT-SANCO
Co-Founder, UNITY |
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UNITY is a professional networking organization for women of color in education with the mission of empowering African American women educators in various stages of their careers through venues that provide motivation, awareness, and mentoring. They recently invited BlackFemaleProject to share the work of Teacher Truth at their Black Women’s Leadership forum.
We are so grateful to Dr. Brent-Sanco and her team for centering Black women and providing meaningful experiences that uplift, motivate, and connect Black women to build community. UNITY’s forum provides a space for Black women to celebrate their full selves, be poured into from phenomenal speakers, and gain practical insights that can be utilized in their professional and personal lives. |
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| Black Educators Night Out June 7, 2024 We look forward to celebrating Black Educators alongside our partners Urban Ed and Black Teacher Project. NOTE: This event is sold out. |
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| Social Symphony Workshop, Part 1 July 13, 2024 Join us for Social Symphony, a multi-part presentation designed to equip you with the tools you need to create an attractive and engaging content plan.
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| Teacher Truth Watch Party August 14, 2024 Save the date for our fourth annual Teacher Truth Watch Party! Hear what we’ve been up to and what we’ve been learning from our staff, research team, and directly from Black educators themselves. More details coming soon!
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“BlackFemaleProject intentionally curates Black female magic. With every program, event, email, or story, we see ourselves in all of our dimensions and know that we are seen, heard, and appreciated for who we've been, who we are, and who we will be.”
- SHEILA ELLIAN LEWIS |
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