Across the country and around the world families, friends and communities are joining together to commemorate and celebrate Juneteenth, Freedom Day.
As much as it is a day of celebration, it is also a reminder that racial trauma and harm continues. It is a day that calls on us to continually commit to centering Black communities and ask ourselves what more we can do.
As an organization founded to invest in communities that have been intentionally disinvested through systemic racism, Community Vision stands in solidarity with Black communities. We are advancing this critical and urgent work by continuing to specifically invest in Black leaders and Black-led organizations and businesses.
Together with the African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs, we developed the African American Equity Impact Scorecard. The scorecard creates a shared framework of evaluation and accountability to Black liberation and how that might be applied to the financial sector more broadly. The scorecard is currently being piloted by 15 CDFIs across the country.
In partnership with American Nonprofits and Nonprofit Finance Fund, we launched the Bay Area Racial Equity Fund. The Fund offers free technical assistance and 0% working capital loans up to $250k for BIPOC-led organizations across northern California.
Community Vision’s work is just one of a multitude of efforts by tens-of-thousands of justice seeking leaders and organizations advancing Black liberation and directing resources to community centered, community-led solutions. In fact, the very existence of CDFIs was sparked by Black community-led efforts in the 1960’s and is an extension of the civil rights movement.
Like that June day in 1865, there is still the unfinished, urgent moral directive to confront and eradicate the daily cruelties and violence of white supremacy and systemic racism.
There are thousands of celebrations and commemorations across the country that you can attend and support. Here are a few events from some leading community groups:
- West Oakland Cultural Action Network, Juneteenth Celebration, June 20, 11a-4p. Food, prizes, and live music.
- Artist As First Responder, Juneteenth Activations, has multiple events including music concerts and live mural painting.
- SF Black Wallstreet, Juneteenth Celebration, June 19, 11a-5p. Food, marketplace, park rides and community resources.
Find out more about Community Vision’s work.
