Our Programs
UMN is comprised of interrelated programs designed to foster the development of organizers of color to work for institutional change. Critical to our success is the integration of our programs. People attending our trainings are brought into our organizing campaigns. Organizations that have received technical assistance from us join our coalitions. Our national links help to inform us and deepen our knowledge about activist work nationally. Our work is continues to be holistic, with one program feeding another: leaders are developed, networks are built and power is won. Programs within each area are focused upon a particular organizing issues crucial to communities of color and are integrated to insure involvement beyond the particular issue. 

UMN is a multi-issue and hybrid organization. Our programs are focused on organizing for social and institutional change and developing skilled organizers and new leaders. Our bottom line on any issue is civic engagement of those in our community who have traditionally been excluded. 

ORGANIZING, COALITION AND MOVEMENT BUILDING

“This is the first time in the 40 years I have lived here, that I have seen such a successful coalition that has cut across race lines, led by people of color.  We have people in the black community who call themselves leaders, but don't reach out to make alliances, so they can only try and curry favor with those in power. UMN believes you don't have to curry favor if you mobilize people."
-Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner

UMN founded and coordinates the following coalitions:

Rally to Improve Schools & Education (RISE) is UMN’s campaign to to build community support for improvement of Boston Public Schools. As charter schools and suburban school districts attract more students, our public schools are increasingly under-funded. RISE is raising awareness of the need for community involvement in advocacy for the schools as well as providing parents with educational choices such as pilot and charter schools. Our work will result in the creation of permanent, community-based entities that will hold the public schools accountable for their performance, and demand proper levels of funding to achieve this goal.  

Black People for Better Public Schools (BP4BPS) is the organizing component of RISE. Our goal is to reform public education through full civic engagement of the Black community, across ethnic and linguistic lines, working to insure quality public school education for ALL our children, by becoming an active force for change. We advocate on behalf of our children and the schools they attend, focusing on adequate funding of schools and school programs. We effectively challenge policy and policy makers to implement strategies that create parity for public schools.  We build bridges across the African diaspora, recognizing that participation is necessary for real education reform.  We develop meaningful relationships with our local schools to become a force for good and progress in our neighborhoods.  We empower parents to be knowledgeable consumers when choosing schools, by providing reasoned information on pilot and exam schools.

Join our campaign (click here) 

Massachusetts Alliance to Reform CORI (MARC) addresses the need for criminal justice reform in the Commonwealth. Our coalition efforts specifically address criminal justice reform, emphasizing participatory democracy. This has resulted in the involvement of those most affected by the CORI laws taking leadership roles in the push for reform. MARC is a statewide coalition of organizations and individuals committed to reforming the critically flawed Criminal Offender Record Information [CORI] laws and policies in Massachusetts.

Join our campaign (click here) 

Blacks and Latinos United (BLU) is a campaign focused on fostering collaboration between black and brown leaders and their communities. BLU is building bridges between these communities, who face similar obstacles, but have yet to make a unified strategy to confront them. Through BLU, we have coordinated a Latino/Black Leadership Symposium in which a group of community leaders will meet regularly to work together on campaigns aimed at gaining power for all communities of color in Boston  particularly around public education reform. 

Congress of Black Organizations (COBO) works to support the work of black-lead community-based nonprofits by developing advocacy strategies to support them financially and structurally in the philanthropic community. This spring, we are focusing our efforts on helping black- and brown-run nonprofits deal with cutbacks. Our house bill in the Massachusetts state legislature will set up a capacity building foundation.   We are currently working in Washington DC to insure the federal budget provides financial supports to struggling community-based nonprofits nationally.  In the summer of 2010 there will be a national convention of black lead organizations to be held at Bennett College for Women in North Carolina coordinated with their President, Dr. Julianne Malveaux.

Economic Justice Alliance of Boston (EJAB) was formed to ensure the fair and equitable distribution of resources from the Stimulus Package into communities of color, and to ensure our communities are not forgotten in the distribution of jobs. EJAB is working with the Greater Boston Legal Services to provide critical information to individuals who are unavoid and not receiving benefits. Further EJAB is working inpartnership with MIT School of Urban Planning in crafting state legislation that will insure fairness and equity in construction hiring for communities of color. While in Boston we are working with City Council to amend the city's fair job hiring practice ordinance. 

SKILLS TRAINING & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Since 2002 over 1,100 individuals have attended our trainings; 98% were people of color. 

Our Institute for Neighborhood Leadership conducts workshops on community organizing, developing collaborations, lobbying, motivating volunteers, leadership development, media and advocacy strategies, citizen empowerment, fundraising, community organizing, advocacy, outreach, fundraising, planning, research, program design, evaluation, collaboration, media skills, political advocacy, public speaking and critical thinking and coping with cutbacks.  The Institute for Neighborhood Leadership is designed for people of color. Our workshops allow people the safety to talk freely about issues, concerns, and experiences. Click Here for workshop schedule.

In addition to workshops and panels, we host periodic “study circles” with nationally prominent experts to help leaders expand their knowledge and thinking on pertinent issues.  Our Activist Study Circle holds smaller group meetings with experts on a variety of subjects around the stimulus package and its affect on education and workforce development. 

Want to join? Need more information? INQUIRE HERE umnunity@gmail.com