Black-Led Non-Profit Organizations

As Black History Month comes to a close, we decided to highlight some Black-owned and led organizations that are doing amazing work for their communities. These organizations have been doing transformative work and advocating for racial justice in all areas, ensuring that equity is achieved. Each of these organizations started out of needs that were not being met or even acknowledged. These groundbreaking Black Women saw these disparities and decided to advocate, educate, and empower those around them to fight for equity.

---

SisterLove Inc. was founded in 1989 and started as a small volunteer group in Atlanta. Their goal was to educate people, especially women, about HIV prevention and safe sex, as well as ensure that everyone has access to safe reproductive care.

Founder and President of SisterLove, Dázon Dixon Diallo, is an advocate for sexual and reproductive justice and heavily supports communities of women and girls living with, or at risk for, HIV and STDs. Dr. Diallo is also a co-chair of the Act Now: End AIDS National Coalition and a founding member of SisterSong Reproductive Justice Collective. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and has faced many trials and tribulations throughout her very powerful career.

At the start, the mission of SisterLove was to instill preventative education and outreach to women of color in Atlanta. Since then, their mission has become broader and encompasses all marginalized communities and individuals struggling with HIV or STIs. SisterLove offers the “Healthy Love Experience,” which maintains the mission of preventative education, providing resources and assistance, as well as reaching out to the community. SisterLove also has a community-based research program that collaborates with both research partners and community members to gather community-based research. This research helps understand the boundaries put in place and how marginalized communities can overcome them. SisterLove also offers the Policy and Advocacy Program, which has many moving parts that all go toward fighting reproductive laws from the grassroots up. This policy entails engaging with federal and state agencies, building connections within the community, and collaborating with other organizations and people to help spread their message. 

SisterLove is the first HIV advocacy group created for women and has since done groundbreaking work. Donate and learn more about SisterLove here.

---

Birthing Beautiful Communities (BBC) is another non-profit organization created in the Glenville neighborhood by African American-trained Perinatal Support Persons (PSP) in 2014. BBC’s mission is to provide an agency for training, certifying, and employing PSPs (and doulas) who serve women at risk for infant death. Through education, engagement, and activism, BBC  provides perinatal support, birth and breastfeeding options, and so much more to communities at risk for infant mortality in their communities. BBC aims to address health’s social, structural, and economic determinants and promote health equity amongst all races, communities, and genders. Since its creation, Birthing Beautiful Communities has served more than 1,000 mothers in Northeast Ohio.

Jazmin Long, the CEO of Birthing Beautiful Communities, will join the Anti-Racism and Equity Institute at Kent State in a discussion of her work and lunch on March 13th from 12:00-1:00 PM. Ms. Long received the Innovator of the Year Award in 2023 and continues to work toward a more equitable world for Black mothers and infants. Long continues her work at BBC as well as being a teacher and activist who is constantly advocating for positive change. 

Learn more about Birthing Beautiful Communities and the outstanding work they’ve accomplished since 2014 here. 

---

The final organization highlighted in this piece is Black Women for Wellness (BBW), an NPO in Los Angeles, California, started by six black women. BBW envisions a future when Black women and girls are able to use all their power, education, and resources to attain healthy, stable family lives. BBW’s mission is to build and sustain communities and empower the women within those communities to improve their quality of life. 

The six black women who founded Black Women for Wellness are Akua Jitahadi, Moyofune Deas Balewa, Shquestra Sitaw, Janette Robinson Flint, Ndoni Forbes, and Claudie Kiti Bustamante. Janette Robinson Flint serves as the current Executive Director of BBW, and she is also a member of the Los Angeles Coalition for Reproductive Justice, the California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom, and In Our Own Voice, a national coalition of Black women advocating for reproductive justice. She is a pefect example of the endless amount of Black women who are taking great strides toward equitable and sustainable communities for everyone. 

Visit here to learn more about the various programs Black Women for Wellness offers and to see all the groundbreaking work they’ve already accomplished.

Highlighting Impactful Black Women: Then and Now

Written by Hannah Toth, Women’s Center Intern

In honor of Black History Month, we want to highlight some impactful, powerful Black women who paved the way for future generations and fought for human rights. We often hear about the powerful Black men who used their voices to fight for the Black community, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. These men absolutely fought mercilessly, and their hard work is heavily admired and appreciated. However, their were women behind the scenes, specifically during the Civil Rights Movement, that helped amplify Black men and their messages.  

Ida B. Wells is a Black Woman who passionately wrote about the injustices Black people were facing, including the lynching of her three friends. Wells wrote exposés about the violence in the South. Despite the dangers of speaking out against what was happening in America, Ida continued to publish what was going on. She was punished and silenced in many ways but never stopped fighting. She was instrumental in the success of the Civil Rights Movement as she helped block the establishment of segregation in Chicago schools. She also founded the Alpha Suffrage Club of Chicago, which fought for Black suffrage. Ida B. Wells’s work during the Civil Rights Movement and beyond laid a foundation for Black women, encouraging them to use their voices in the powerful ways she did. 

Another notable Civil Rights activist is Maya Angelou, a talented Black woman. Maya Angelou was a singer, actress, and Hollywood’s first-ever Black female director, but most of her fame came from her writing, which includes essays, memoirs, playwrights, and poems. Many don’t know that Angelou worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X to fight for Civil Rights. She escaped a life of poverty, racism, and violence– which she writes about in her novel I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing- and published novels that show the heartbreaking trauma and pain that Black children in America were actively dealing with. Despite efforts to ban the book due to its candid discussion of racism, the novel transcends time and is still an extremely impactful read. Angelou has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and a Tony, and she won several Grammys for her music and poetry. 

Bessie Coleman is another example of a Black woman who changed history for the better. She was the first ever Black woman to hold a pilot’s license, and she fought against sexism and racism to reach her dream of becoming a pilot. Coleman faced much rejection for not only being Black, but also a woman. After she received her license, she had the opportunity to fly around the world. Her legacy lives on as she opened so many doors for women. 

There are so many integral Black women in American history who do not receive nearly enough representation or appreciation for the tireless work they put into fighting for Black people to be treated equally. Because of these women (and many more), Black women today are able to perform in collegiate sports, hold political positions, vote, and work any job they desire. There are many Black women today who continue to prove that Black women are an integral part of society and deserve to be celebrated, appreciated, and recognized. 

Tarana Burke is one example of a Black woman today who is doing amazing work in marginalized communities. Burke is the founder of the Me Too movement and an activist. Burke’s #MeToo movement encouraged thousands of sexual assault victims to feel safe and comfortable enough to discuss sexual violence enacted on them. The goal of MeToo is to encourage women to speak up for themselves, as Burke believes that “empowerment through empathy is the best way to support one another.” The movement led to a deeper understanding of sexual violence globally and helped millions of victims find a community in which they feel safe. Tarana Burke’s work as an activist has undoubtedly left a lasting mark, and she continues to advocate and educate around the country. 

Oprah Winfrey is another notable Black woman whose career has shown that anything a white man can do, a woman can do just as well. There’s no doubt that Opray Winfrey’s career has stood the test of time, as her career has been extremely successful and groundbreaking for decades. Not only does she have the highest-rated talk show of its kind, but she is also a philanthropist, actress, writer, CEO, and businesswoman. Winfrey has many accomplishments to her name, including being a Golden Globe-winning actress, but her charity work is by far the most impressive, as she provides opportunities for millions of people. Winfrey founded the Leadership Academy for Girls for academically gifted girls from impoverished communities to get the education they need. LAG is only one example of the many philanthropic things Winfrey has done over the course of her career. Because of this, Oprah Winfrey became the first African American female billionaire. 

The final Black woman highlighted in this article is Simone Biles. Simone Biles is the highest-decorated gymnast of all time with over 30 medals and the first female gymnast to win seven national all-around titles. She has made history in the Olympics and continues to train and work hard to break records. She has even had a gymnastic skill named after her due to its difficulty. Biles struggled a lot with the pressure of the media and the world watching her, but she has always gotten back up and come back stronger. She is a great inspiration to not only Black women and athletes but young girls and women around the world. 

Black History Month is a time dedicated to celebrating the Black community and recognizing the battles that had to be fought for these women to shine brightly and succeed. Amplifying Black voices and all the work that has been done to get to this point is only a small way to show support and acknolwedgement of the adversity Black people have faced.