The Sun shines within you

[View this email in your browser]( Michael’s Motivation Some days, when the Sun shines upon your face, it just feels more majestic and rejuvenating than before. Today is one of those days while being among our people on Martha’s Vineyard. Black Excellence rises to new levels this week as many of us embark on our annual voyage to Martha's Vineyard. A place of restoration and refuge, a destination to relearn more about yourself as you learn new brilliance from those around you. Each year, our team hosts "KAIROS: Convening For The Culture", an opportunity for People of Color see our Power. While on the Island and within life, there is a tranquility that happens when you connect with the Sun. Whether during the Sunrise as you awake to start your morning or a Sunset to bring closure to your day or just as you walk or even sit in silence, it's important for us to recognize the power of a Star above us that can reinvigorate a star like power within us. Give yourself a few moments today and everyday to remember that it's wonderful when the Sun shines upon you, but, it's even more powerful when you remind yourself that the Sun shines within you. Don't let anyone else's darkness dim your Sun from shining. Convening for the Culture August 12-15, 2024 Our signature annual event, “Convening for the Culture,” provides an opportunity for leaders of color to gather during one of the Black community’s most prominent weeks of leadership activation each year. About 200 of the nation’s leaders and change makers of color and their allies attend the four-day event on Martha’s Vineyard focused on relationship building, ideation, deal flow and partnership development. [Register Now!]( ICYMI: FWD.us releases Lift Your Voice. The fierce urgency of NOW It’s easy to wait for others to speak up about something, but waiting for others is not how change gets made. Change happens when brave people come together and use their voices to take action. I was reminded of this lesson when reading the[ powerful open letter]( written by community leaders who have been impacted by incarceration and criminalization. During a time when too many people want to turn away from discussing the urgent need to end mass incarceration, more than 160 individuals joined together on a letter to Vice President Harris acknowledging her strong record on criminal justice reform and asking her to prioritize it in her campaign. These folks could have kept their heads down and waited for the “time to be right.” But the perfect time for change is NOW. The letter they penned is a reminder of the fierce urgency of now and our collective duty to take action. Ending mass incarceration, closing the racial wealth gap, and addressing racial inequality requires us to be brave, speak up, and recognize the perfect moment to make change…is now. [Read the Letter]( KAIROS Conversation LIVE from Martha’s Vineyard See you Wednesday! Wednesday, August 14 · 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST Video call link: [( Or dial: ‪(US) +1 651-571-1259‬ PIN: ‪460 226 103‬# More phone numbers: [ [RSVP]( BLACK FACTS “Divide and conquer must become Define and Empower.” -Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches, 1984 Too often, data is used as a tool to affirm the lie of human hierarchy and white superiority, erasing the diverse ways that human beings have always experienced the social worlds we create. Often, data is collected, analyzed, and discussed in ways that affirm false narratives designed to rationalize white supremacy and fuel the pejorative stereotypes required to justify social stratification. Additionally, data is weaponized against marginalized communities to rationalize harmful policy and legislation while simultaneously omitting and erasing the truth of their experience. Black feminists remind us to work “woke” and to be ever mindful of the matrix of domination–the signs, systems, and symbols that enable white supremacy (and its progeny: patriarchy, homofascism, and anti-Blackness) to be simultaneously omnipresent and hypervisible. Heeding this lesson, six Black openly Queer leaders of National civil rights and progressive public policy organizations collaborated in a research project designed to center Black people in an investigation of perspectives and ideas that our beautifully diverse community has about Black trans, queer, and gender-expansive people and policy issues. The National Black Justice Collective (NBJC) commissioned this groundbreaking research project on behalf of NBJC, The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the National LGBTQ Task Force, The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Family Equality, and GLSEN. This research project began with the hypothesis that the mainstream media, influential political leaders, institutions, and some of our colleagues talk about Black people and our issues in a way that is wrong. Too often, those without lived or earned experience set the terms for debates about Black people and our policy priorities in ways that make our work more complex and the path to collective liberation more challenging to pursue.  This study is essential and unique: - This survey is composed solely of 1,300 self-identified Black people. - This survey oversampled 100 Black LGBTQ+ people. - To our knowledge, this survey is historic and singular in that it seeks explicitly to gauge attitudes among Black people on Black LGBTQ+ people and issues, making for a groundbreaking study and introduction into fertile ground for more research. The research findings support our originating hypothesis: Media and other political elites falsely and incorrectly speak about and portray Black people and their attitudes toward Black LGBTQ+ people and policy priorities. This project underscores the importance of investing in inclusive Black and Queer leadership, including research focused on racial justice and equity, data collection, use, and communication to inform and advance the work of defending democracy and increasing civic engagement, competence, and compassion in ways that improve life opportunities and outcomes for all people.  Our findings evidence the necessity of disrupting pathologies and false narratives that suggest Black people are more ignorant, hate-fueled, or divisive than other communities–which has never been true. Built upon the understanding that as long as there have been people, we’ve been beautifully diverse, our research affirms the reclamation of being in loving community with one another and increasing competence and compassion so that more members of our community understand the often mischaracterized experiences of Black trans, queer, and gender-expansive people. As our beloved ancestor Fannie Lou Hamer reminds us, none of us will get to freedom alone. We hope that you find the data presented in this Black Paper helpful in increasing civic engagement, competence, and compassion to strengthen the bonds within our beautifully diverse communities. We hope that it provides positive fuel for reparative justice and equity-focused efforts to strengthen democracy and hold our country accountable for living up to the promises the “framing fathers'' made while benefiting from the labor of enslaved Africans who are still suffering without reparation today. We hope that this research project leads to more questions being asked and many more studies that center Black people in our fullness without apology, using language, framing, and approaches that are native and natural. [Learn More]( The 2024 DSPolitical Ad Grants Program is now live and accepting applications! We started this initiative in 2020 to help down-ballot candidates seeking office at the state and municipal levels obtain the tools and funding needed to reach voters with targeted digital advertising, and are proud to see its return for the fifth consecutive year. This year, we’re proud to announce $100,000 in funding to progressive candidates for programmatic digital advertising on DSPolitical’s award-winning technology platforms. The 2024 DSPolitical Ad Grants Program will accept applications until August 21st at 5 pm EST. [Apply Now]( The HBCU Scholarship Ride was established to financially assist students from Newark, NJ., in realizing their aspirations of attending an HBCU. In acknowledging the unique challenges that students face, the HBCU Scholarship Ride Foundation bridges the gap between a deserving student’s desire and their ability to pay. [Donate Today]( [Learn More!]( In addition to headlining performances Adekunle Gold and Patoranking, two of Africa’s biggest musical stars at the world-famous Apollo Theater, The Bridge will also feature: - Performances from across the African diaspora - Remarks by UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed - A presidential fireside chat moderated by CNN’s Larry Madowo - A video tribute to late President Geingob of Namibia with remarks by Mrs. Monica Geingos - The launch of the Next Narrative Africa Fund - Presentations by partners sharing their work across Africa and the diaspora [Tickets and Info]( Text “Democracy” to +1 (917) 810-3409. KAIROS: DEMOCRACY PROJECT exists to promote social welfare and civic betterment by mobilizing and engaging Communities of Color and Young Adults through Issue Advocacy and awareness on the impact of safeguarding our Democracy on their everyday lives. From deploying local Influencers and surrogates of Color from the KAIROS Communications war room to hosting KAIROS CONVERSATION Listen & Learns to executing a targeted media and message mobilization, the KAIROS: DEMOCRACY PROJECT will be the go to place for engaging Leaders of Color around Issues and Democracy in the country, not just for one election but for future generations. Join the fight for Democracy by helping us organize voters!: [$50 ⮕]( [$100 ⮕]( [$250 ⮕]( [$500 ⮕]( [$1000 ⮕]( [Other ⮕]( Join KAIROS in partnership with HQ DC House! Kairos is thrilled to announce our partnership with HQ DC House, the only premier social and professional club in Washington, D.C. dedicated to supporting and empowering the Black community. Interested in becoming a member? Click here to start your journey with us. To learn more about HQ DC House and their impactful initiatives, [click here.]( When completing your application, don't forget to respond to the question "How did you hear about us?" by selecting "KAIROS.” Let's make a difference together! [HQ Membership Application]( August 14 KAIROS: Convening For The Culture (Martha's Vineyard) August 21 KAIROS: Live from Democratic National Convention Save the Dates August 12-15 KAIROS: Convening for the Culture Martha's Vineyard[Get Tickets]( August 19-22 KAIROS @ Democratic National Committee Convention Chicago, IL August 22 KAIROS Democracy Project Day of Democracy Chicago, IL September 21 Just Vote Rally Selma, AL KAIROS "a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action : the opportune and decisive MOMENT" "The right or critical MOMENT" Join Our KAIROS Community: Text ‘KAIROS’ to 917-983-0800 [Facebook icon]( [Instagram icon]( [Website icon]( [LinkedIn icon]( [YouTube icon]( Copyright (C) 2024 Atlas Strategy Group. 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