Celebrating Black-led Nonprofits Making an Impact in Our Community
February is Black History month, a time to celebrate the enumerable contributions made by Black leaders, men, and women, past and present in all the various sectors of culture, science, history, and more!
At C3 we wanted to highlight the black-led nonprofits in our community with whom we’ve had the pleasure of working. They opened their doors to our mission of climate action and climate justice and together we collaborated in a meaningful, multi-solutions way. We appreciate and celebrate that.
Please check out the mission and services that these organizations provide, and consider giving your time, talent, or treasure to these groups performing such crucial services to our community!
Jay Simple, Executive Director
The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative
The Bridge builds, strengthens, and supports creative connections by providing financial resources, workspaces, and collaborative opportunities to empower the greater Charlottesville community.
C3 and the Bridge, along with the Boys and Girls Club of Charlottesville and Uhuru Foundation partnered with youth interns and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Charlottesville on a summer climate justice mural project. The installation was designed by local artist James “Jae” Johnson.
Last year, Jay Simple, an accomplished visual artist and photographer was named Executive Director to lead the organization moving forward. We look forward to his vision including the new space on the downtown mall that aims to offer accessible rental space for burgeoning artists. https://thebridgepai.org/
Photo Credit: Kristen Finn
City of Promise
When we approached the City of Promise, led by Executive Director Mary Coleman, about delivering climate action kits for kids, she asked COP families staying at home due to COVID which age group would best be served with some fun activities. The feedback pointed to pre-school age children, and thus our C3/Virginia Discovery Museum Climate Action Kits were born. The program has since shifted and expanded to elementary classrooms, but we couldn’t have done it without the willingness and leadership of Executive Director Mary Coleman.
The City of Promise's mission is to end generational poverty and to foster a culture of achievement in which all children in our community graduate from high school, ready for college or career. They accomplish this through partnerships with parents, neighbors, organizations, schools, and community. https://www.cityofpromise.org/
Photo Credit: City of Promise website
Mary Coleman, Executive Director
Richard Morris, Co-Executive Director
Cultivate Charlottesville
Richard Morris, co-executive director of Cultivate Charlottesville is an iconic, hard-working, passionate leader for food justice, sustainability, and equity in our community. In 2021, we spotlighted him in a series about intersectional leaders on climate called Climate Connections.
Cultivate and C3 have also worked together on advocacy, namely collaborating on food justice recommendations for the Climate Action Plan recommendation to City Council, staff, and policymakers. They have also signed on to our ACT on Climate! and Charlottesville Climate Action Plan recommendation letters.
Cultivate Charlottesville’s mission is to engage youth and community in building an equitable, sustainable food system through garden-based experiential learning, growing and sharing healthy food, amplifying community leaders, and advocating for food justice. We look forward to more ways to collaborate at the intersection of food and climate! https://cultivatecharlottesville.org/
Photo Credit: Cultivate website
The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center
Led by art historian Dr. Andrea Douglas, the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center’s mission is to honor and preserve the rich heritage and legacy of the African-American community of Charlottesville-Albemarle, Virginia and to promote a greater appreciation for, and understanding of, the contributions of African Americans and peoples of the Diaspora locally, nationally and globally. We are grateful for JSAAHC hosting our Green Teen Alliance meeting last Spring and before that an exhibit on climate justice that included our Energy Inequity Report and the Picturing Climate Justice art exhibit. https://jeffschoolheritagecenter.org/about-us/
Photo Credit: Eze Amos for Vinegar Hill Magazine
Dr. Andrea Douglas, Executive Director
Freddy Jackson, Founder Love No Ego
Love No Ego Foundation
We were so honored that Freddy Jackson, founder of the Love No Ego organization, said a resounding “Yes” when we asked him to be our guest emcee for our exciting five-year anniversary. Love No Ego serves youth locally, regionally, and nationally through motivational speaking, mentoring, and other programs. LNE provides positive change by inspiring and improving the quality of life of its participants. Besides being a dynamic, inspiring community leader, he is also an author and athlete. Visit https://www.lovenoego.org/
Photo Credit: Alisa Foytik
Robert Gray, Co-founder
Derek Rush, Co-founder
Uhuru Foundation
Cofounders of the Uhuru Foundation, Robert Gray and Derek Rush envision a world where the most vulnerable youth and families have the power and resources to lift themselves out of poverty to upward social and economic mobility that will enable them to create healthy lifestyles for their families and communities. Their various projects include educational workshops around social enterprises, trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) groups for youth, gun violence remediation for adults, and other services to support high-risk youth.
C3 was happy to partner with them to bring the Climate Justice mural to fruition in the summer of 2021. https://www.theuhurufoundation.org/
Photo Credit: Uhuru Foundation website
Faith Harris, Executive Director
Virginia Interfaith Power and Light
Virginia Interfaith Power and Light is a powerful leader in engaging communities of faith. Specifically, their mission is to collaborate among people of faith and conscience to grow healthy communities by advancing climate and environmental justice. We have co-presented with VAIPL to local congregations; we serve with them on the Energy Burden Coalition; and we look forward to more ways of working together for a cleaner, more just future. https://vaipl.org/
Photo credit: https://vaipl.org/our-team/faith-harris/