We resource community-led initiatives and small non-profit organizations that empower Black lives by harnessing the energy and urgency of today’s social justice movements to create, scale, and sustain social and economic power to advance Black lives in Bay Area communities.
Continue to Rise, features the insight of 5 Changemakers working to transform their local communities. Their stories, along with vivid local photography, will illuminate the power of activism, community organizing, wealth building, and the preservation of Black life.
Black Citizen was founded in the midst of a global pandemic and nationwide reckoning with race. We actively engage, support, and invest in Black leaders who are building power and transforming their local communities.
We are committed to nurturing the next generation of leaders who will ultimately ascend to occupy influential roles across industries. These leaders must be equipped with the tools and resources to lead at their highest level and propel us as a people forward socially, politically, and economically. We understand that we cannot afford to fight for equality forever. This movement depends on our ability to sustain and continue to develop leaders that will embolden us to thrive.
Featured Changemakers:
Brittney Doyle founded Wise Health, a community organization that focuses on eliminating health disparities and increasing healthcare access among racial and ethnic minorities. Brittney has developed an engagement strategy and conducted community listening sessions with Black women around San Francisco to hear firsthand their experiences participating in local government and the voting process. She developed programming to educate Black women on the civic engagement process, increase voter registration, and address health inequities facing Black communities with an emphasis on seniors.
Jasper Smith: Are you ready to disrupt generational poverty? Jasper Smith heads The #BuildWealth Movement, a financial initiative that encourages Black residents of Oakland to confront their financial status by shifting reactionary habits to proactive planning.
Genevieve Leighton Armah heads the Bay Area Black Leaders which offers a chance for leaders to engage in proactive self-care by providing opportunities to rest, restore, sustain, and grow themselves. By having access to the appropriate resources, individuals can reach their full potential and feel empowered to utilize their abilities to make impactful changes.
David Peters leads The Black Liberation Walking Tour organized by the West Oakland Cultural Action Network, a purposeful and engaging initiative aimed at honoring the Black and multigenerational history of Oakland’s Hoover-Durant neighborhood. The Tour also serves to amplify the rich culture in Oakland rooted in the voices of native residents, beautiful murals capturing the Town’s beauty, and acknowledgment of historically significant sites and cultural landmarks.
Courtney Jones is the founder of the I.D.E.A in Arts program which helps art institutions become community place makers. I.D.E.A also helps art institutions learn how to support underrepresented individuals. Courtney, an Oakland native, has over 10 years of experience in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Photos were captured by Gregory Collins who started his journey in Camden, NJ, and has lived Oakland, CA since 2012. He owns #Smoothpix, a photography and digital marketing company.
Watch our initial partnership video about Black Citizen, Last Gen Publishing, and #Smoothpix.
About the publisher: LastGen Publishing exists to champion the work of emerging talent who are undervalued by, overlooked by, or don’t have access to the commercial publishing world.