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Youth of color are fighting for their right to exist in their full bodies, with their full voices, in freedom, safety, joy, and power. The intersection of race and gender is often ignored, yet disparities for BYMOC, in particular, permeate every pillar of our society. Without transformative change, future generations of men of color will continue to experience reduced access to health and education, lost economic opportunities, higher incarceration rates and overall systematic oppression. We have the opportunity to channel and elevate their power, change the BYMOC narrative, train them as future leaders, strengthen relationships across the youth of color ecosystem, fortify BMOC organizations, and spur philanthropy to action on their behalf. Youth of color deserve equitable systems of support. The work of rooted change is guided by action-oriented strategies developed in collaboration with organizations serving BYMOC and their communities. Our approach is threefold: staying grounded in the state of YOC through ongoing dedicated time for learning and dialogue on BYMOC and YOC topics, setting focused, action-oriented outcomes and policy strategies directed towards changing systems and practices that oppress versus liberate YOC and the organizations that serve them, and amplifying stories of change as well as ongoing findings, actions implemented, and impact metrics and learnings of the initiative. This initiative is powered by Nafasi Fund, a fiscal sponsor that provides the 501(c)(3) and audit-worthy infrastructure Black-led organizations need to be eligible for funding that supports transformative work. |