Grassroots organizing is key to transformational change – a necessary, if not sufficient, ingredient. Since George Floyd’s murder at the hands of Minneapolis police, this was never more evident than in the efforts undertaken by community activists to defund the police, an effort that at least initially garnered substantial local political support. For this reason, we invited Kandace Montgomery, Miski Noor, and Oluchi Omeoga, the co-founders of the organization that was key to pushing for transformative change in Minneapolis, with grassroots efforts that inspired and educated residents – the Black Visions Collective. They spoke about the nature of their efforts, what outcomes their efforts have produced, how to scale up, and where BLVC goes from here. It was a provocative, insightful, and inspiring discussion.
Kandace Montgomery, Miski Noor, and Oluchi Omeoga are the co-founders of Black Visions Collective. Since 2017, Black Visions Collective has been putting into practice the lessons learned from organizations before them in order to shape a political home for Black people across Minnesota. They aim to center their work in healing and transformative justice principles, intentionally develop their organization's core “DNA” to ensure sustainability, and develop Minnesota’s emerging Black leadership to lead powerful campaigns. By building movements from the ground up with an integrated model, they are creating the conditions for long term success and transformation.
Black Visions Collective envisions a world in which ALL Black Lives Matter. They use the guidance and brilliance of their ancestors as well as the teachings of their own experiences to pursue their commitment to dismantling systems of oppression and violence. They are determined in their pursuit of dignity and equity for all.