We Are New York Values

Racial Justice

RACIAL JUSTICE

Mission: There’s a dearth of African-American women in science, technology, engineering and math professions, an absence that cannot be explained by a lack of interest in these fields. Lack of access and lack of exposure to STEM topics are the likelier culprits. Black Girls provides young and pre-teen girls of color opportunities to learn in-demand skills in technology and computer programming at a time when they are naturally thinking about what they want to be when they grow up. That, really, is the Black Girls Code mission:  to introduce programming and technology to a new generation of coders, coders who will become builders of technological innovation and of their own futures. Imagine the impact that these curious, creative minds could have on the world with the guidance and encouragement others take for granted. 

Website: http://www.blackgirlscode.com/volunteer-signup.html
Phone: 510-398-0880
Email: n/a

What volunteers do:

  • tech instructor

  • tech assistant

  • classroom assistant

  • social media

  • general office/admin help

  • general IT/tech support


Mission: Black Lives Matter is a chapter-based national organization working for the validity of Black life. We are working to (re)build the Black liberation movement. Rooted in the experiences of Black people in this country who actively resist our dehumanization, #BlackLivesMatter is a call to action and a response to the virulent anti-Black racism that permeates our society. Black Lives Matter is a unique contribution that goes beyond extrajudicial killings of Black people by police and vigilantes. Black Lives Matter affirms the lives of Black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, black-undocumented folks, folks with records, women and all Black lives along the gender spectrum. #BlackLivesMatter is working for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically and intentionally targeted for demise.  We affirm our contributions to this society, our humanity, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression.  We have put our sweat equity and love for Black people into creating a political project–taking the hashtag off of social media and into the streets. The call for Black lives to matter is a rallying cry for ALL Black lives striving for liberation.

Website: http://blacklivesmatter.com/getinvolved/
Phone: n/a
Email: http://blacklivesmatter.com/find-chapters/

What volunteers do:

  • opportunities are event-driven and determined by membership

FYI:

  • website calendar of events constantly updated


Mission: Black Women’s Blueprint, Inc. is a civil and human rights organization of women and men. Our purpose is to take action to secure social, political and economic equality in American society now. We work to develop a culture where women of African descent are fully empowered and where gender, race and other disparities are erased. We work to place Black women and girls’ lives as well as their particular struggles squarely within the context of the larger racial justice concerns of Black communities and are committed to building movements where gender matters in broader social justice organizing so that all members of our communities gain social, political and economic equity. We engage in progressive research, historical documentation, policy advocacy and organizing steeped in the struggles of Black women within their diverse communities and within dominant culture. We engage in progressive research, historical documentation, support movement building and organize on social justice issues steeped in the struggles of Black women within their communities and within dominant culture.

Website: http://www.blackwomensblueprint.org/careers.html
Phone: 347-533-9102/9103
Email: info@blackwomensblueprint.org

What volunteers do:

  • specialists in History, Women's Studies, or African Studies help with the organization's continuous Black HerStory Project

Borough: Brooklyn


Mission: CCCADI integrates the arts, education, activism and conscious cultural tourism to foster social transformation. We document and present the creative genius of African Diaspora cultures; prepare the next generation of cultural leaders; and unite Diaspora communities. Each of CCCADI’s programs asserts the centrality and relevance of African, Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latino culture to strengthen our communities, build access, and support leadership from within economically vulnerable and underserved communities. CCCADI carries out its mission through public art exhibitions, performances, educational programs, workshops, conferences and international exchanges. CCCADI is regarded as a pioneer in the field and an authentic source on the historic living traditions of afro-descendent communities in the US and globally. Our programs and pedagogy are informed by Afro-Atlantic aesthetics and philosophies. CCCADI consciously cultivates multi-generational audiences acknowledging the unique gifts of community elders, adults and youth. Our initiatives and our audiences reflect the dynamic kaleidoscope of global Black culture. We actively work to create a world in which afro-descendent people: have access to culturally relevant arts education, training, and employment opportunities; are guaranteed equal rights and opportunities to make a sustainable living for themselves and their families; live in communities that are safe, healthy, beautiful and vibrant;  leverage their cultural traditions as a source of wisdom, power, pride, healing and thriving; understand and engage with the global diversity of Black cultural expressions; and use our creativity to empower our people as artists, thinkers and leaders within our homes, schools, and communities - and in our major cultural institutions that present our contributions to humanity.

Website: http://www.cccadi.org/get-involved/ (scroll down for volunteer form)
Phone: 212-307-7420
Email: info@cccadi.org

What volunteers do:

  • public programming

  • education

  • development

  • general office support

FYI:

  • four-month commitment

  • training sessions required

  • must be 18 to volunteer

  • volunteer application opens up seasonally

Borough: Manhattan


Mission: Citizen Action of New York is a grassroots membership organization taking on big issues that are at the center of transforming society: quality education and after-school programs for all our kids; guaranteed quality, affordable health care; public financing of election campaigns; dismantling racism and promoting racial justice; a more progressive tax system. We look for opportunities to accomplish big changes – not small, incremental reforms. We work to elect progressive candidates to office who are committed to these issues. Our power comes from the grassroots: people coming together to push the edge of the possible. Every new member helps bring New York and America closer to a society that works for all of us!

Website: http://citizenactionny.org
Phone: 212-523-0180
Email: canyc@citizenactionny.org

What volunteers do:

  • represent Citizen Action at coalition meetings

  • assign tasks and keep track of tasks for follow-up

  • captain buses to events, rallies, marches

  • coordinate calendar of meetings and events

  • write and distribute chants

  • cook for events

  • debrief participant volunteers

  • maintain office inventory and order

  • facilitate meetings

  • design flyers, newsletters, literature

  • keep membership list

  • press liaison

  • media research

  • take meeting minutes

  • office manager

  • captain phone banks

  • photograph events

  • watchdog/track politicians’ social media feeds

  • receptionist

  • issue research

  • meeting peacekeeper

  • social-media engagement

  • book speakers

  • spokesperson

  • coordinate visibility (banners, signs, pins, t-shirts)

  • coordinate volunteers

  • write op-eds, letters to the editor, chapter’s monthly report to Albany


Mission: The Gathering for Justice is a social justice organization founded by Harry Belafonte in 2005.  Led since 2010 by Executive Director Carmen Perez, The Gathering utilizes Kingian nonviolence as a social application for change and civic engagement. The organization is unique in that we provide direct services, engage artists and cultural leaders as foot soldiers in grassroots mobilization, and consult and advise on legislative and policy initiatives while organizing in local and national communities – all to sustain and build this Movement, the essence of which is grounded in the Movement for Racial Equality. Since 2013, The Gathering and our social justice task force Justice League NYC, have been building justice initiatives on multiple fronts. Our work includes leading policy initiatives for police accountability; bringing in individuals and groups from diverse communities to organize as a ‘family coalition’ in order to capitalize on our combined power and build the agenda for sustained black and brown liberation; being the catalyst for the re-introduction of federal legislation to end racial profiling and stop the militarization of law enforcement; engaging a serious and sustained effort for Raise the Age in NY State; and creating a blueprint – in the form of a substantive list of demands – for criminal justice redress and accountability for NY City and State.

Website: http://www.gatheringforjustice.org/volunteer
Email: nyjusticeleague@gmail.com
Phone: n/a

What volunteers do:

  • research committee (research laws, policies, and statistics related to ongoing/future Justice League campaigns)

  • direct action committee (organize protests and marches)

  • communications committee (relay information to and update the public on Justice League campaigns, actions, and issues facing our community)

  • outreach committee (social media, recruit new volunteers)

  • policy committee (draft policy and do research for ongoing/future legislative campaigns)


Mission: GRIOT Circle is a community-based, multigenerational organization serving LGBTQ elders of color.  Our mission is to respond to and eliminate all forms of oppression, including: ageism, racism, sexism, misogyny, transphobia, homophobia, poverty, xenophobia, and their intersections. We achieve this by providing health, wellness, advocacy, and leadership activities to remove isolation and fear, build community, as well as honor racial and ethnic traditions. Most of our members reside in New York’s metropolitan area, though GRIOT has members throughout the country. Nearly all our members are from modest-to-low income households; more than 50% are retired; and about 90% identify as black, African American or Caribbean American. We provide emotional support and quality programming that affirm the lives of this often invisible and marginalized population. GRIOT is committed to honoring and preserving our histories and traditions while reuniting those parts of our selves that have been fragmented by racism and homophobia. We maintain a space, free of discrimination based on age, gender, race, sexuality, spirituality, and ethnic origin. Everyone is welcome.

Website: https://griotcircle.org/support-us#volunteer
Email: Reunion@griotcircle.org
Phone: 718-246-2775

What volunteers do:

  • Serve on Buddy-2-Buddy coordinating committee

  • Public Speaking/Outreach/Tabling

  • Plan events and activities

  • Fundraising

  • Monthly calendar mailings

  • Internal support (field phone calls, welcome guests, assist with programs)

Borough: Brooklyn


Mission: L.O.V.E. supports and empowers young Latinas to strive both in school and in life by providing positive role models. L.O.V.E.’s vision is that all Latinas graduate from high school, attain higher education, and live successful lives. The L.O.V.E. Mentoring Program recruits volunteer female university students to support, guide, and be a role model to young Latinas during their high school years. Through a series of structured mentoring and group activities that concentrate on personal empowerment, developing study skills, and college access, the L.O.V.E. Mentoring Program aims to provide a space in which young Latinas can learn how to strive personally and academically through positive reinforcement, consistency and understanding. L.O.V.E. is a curriculum-based program that consists of three core components: personal empowerment, study skills, and college access. Each session has its own focus area and theme. Each mentoring session is a collective gathering of mentors and mentees, where participants engage in both group activities and one-to-one interactions, guided by a workshop.

Website: http://www.lovementoring.org/application/
Email: claudia@lovementoring.org
Phone: n/a

What volunteers do:

  • college-age women mentor high-school age mentee (help with homework, college applications, or give suggestions/feedback for long-term or short-term educational or personal goals) in ongoing relationship with weekly meetings and other shared activities

FYI:

  • application, interview required


Mission: NDWA works for the respect, recognition, and inclusion in labor protections for domestic workers. Domestic workers care for our children, provide essential support for seniors and people with disabilities to live with dignity at home, and perform the home care work that makes all other work possible. They are skilled and caring professionals, but for many years, they have labored in the shadows, and their work has not been valued. These workers deserve respect, dignity and basic labor protections. NDWA is winning improved working conditions while building a powerful movement rooted in the human rights and dignity of domestic workers, immigrants, women, and their families by working with a broad range of groups and individuals to change how we value care, women, families, and our communities; developing women of color leaders and investing in grassroots organizations to realize their potential; and building powerful state, regional, and national campaigns for concrete change. Together, we can win the protections and recognition that this vital American workforce needs.

Website: https://www.domesticworkers.org/volunteer
Volunteer form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1qh-DIeK_9ziFPkhau659kQxr9c9FJZFCiK3AlRT_xMU/viewform?edit_requested=true
Phone: 646-360-5806
Email: info@domesticworkers.org or arun@domesticworkers.org or yashna@domesticworkers.org

What volunteers do:

  • communications

  • development

  • design

  • digital and social media

  • domestic worker organizing team

  • finance & operations

  • international organizing

  • legal team

  • policy team

  • social innovations team

  • join We Belong Together immigration campaign

  • join We Dream in Black — Black domestic worker organizing campaign


Mission: The mission of the New York Urban League (NYUL) is to enable African Americans and other underserved ethnic communities to secure a first-class education, economic self-reliance, and equal respect of their civil rights through programs, services, and advocacy in our highly diversified city.

Website: http://www.nyul.org/get-involved/volunteer/
Phone: 212-926-8000
Email: arice@nyul.org

What volunteers do:

  • New York Urban League Young Professionals (NYULYP) participate in service opportunities throughout the five boroughs of New York City

  • signature volunteer programs include annual backpack drive, Get Your Mind Right Body Right (health fair), and the 5-Borough Service Day


Mission: Our mission is to defend and promote the fundamental principles and values embodied in the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, and the New York Constitution, including freedom of speech and religion, and the right to privacy, equality and due process of law for all New Yorkers. We believe that all New Yorkers have inalienable rights that cannot be taken away by the government or by majority vote. They are: 1) Freedom of speech, press, petition and assembly. Even unpopular expression is protected from government suppression and censorship. 2) Freedom of religion. Each of us has the right to exercise his or her own religion, or no religion, free from any government influence or compulsion. 3) Privacy. We have the right to be free from unwarranted and unwanted government intrusion into our personal and private affairs, papers and possessions. 4) Due process of law. We have right to be treated fairly by the government whenever the loss of liberty or property is at stake. 5) Equality before the law. We have the right to be treated equally regardless of nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, disability or socio-economic status. The NYCLU fights for civil liberties and civil rights through a multi-layered program of litigation, advocacy, public education and community organizing. Our clients are men and women, rich and poor, gay and straight, black, white and brown, young and old, religious and atheist, able-bodied and living with a disability, citizens and immigrants. When we vindicate their rights, all New Yorkers benefit.

Website: http://nyclu.org/content/our-advocacy-program
Volunteer sign-up form: https://action.aclu.org/secure/volunteer-nyclu
Phone: 212-607-3300
Email: n/a

What volunteers do:

  • online activism

  • grassroots lobbying

  • community organizing

  • lobby with NYCLU in Albany (next day of action March 13, 2017)

  • monitor protests

  • writing/journalism

  • research

  • help fundraise

  • graphic design

  • multimedia support

  • translate (Arabic , Chinese , French, Hindi, Korean, Kreyol, Polish, Spanish, Russian, Urdu)

  • photography/videography

  • education


Mission: Racism is present throughout all of our contemporary institutions and structures. Racism is devastating to people of color and is closely intertwined with all systems of oppression. It robs all of us - white people and people of color - of our humanity.  We have the opportunity and responsibility to show NYC and the world what it means to take responsibility for our role as white people in these systems. We stand for accountability of our police, politicians, the corporate elite, and one another. We act collectively and publicly to break white silence. We learn from the long history of people of color and white people who struggled for ending all systems of oppression. We play our role in building a powerful multiracial majority for justice and liberation. We show up. 

Website: http://www.nycsurj.com/join.html
Phone: n/a
Email: nycsurj@gmail.com

What volunteers do:

  • attend monthly meetings of one of three committees: communication, direct action, base building

FYI:

  • pre-meeting orientation required


Mission: Street Riders NYC is a collective, a movement, a community, who met in protest. We collectively shared an interest in riding while providing cycling support and protection to protest groups across the city focusing on issues of justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery; as well as police reform and racial equality. Our focus continues to be protesting and offering support to marchers. Through requests and partnerships, we send other organizations bikes to act as a buffer and shield protesters from cars and police. We are not in this for the short term or the hype but for impact, change, and the pursuit of justice and equality for Black lives.

Website: https://www.streetridersnyc.com/bike-volunteer-list/
Email: streetridersnyc@gmail.com
Phone: N/A

What volunteers do:

  • as part of a bike team, ride with marching protesters

  • redirect traffic

  • scout the path ahead

FYI:

  • commitment of 4-hour blocks of time requested

  • can use bike, electric bike, electric scooter, electric skateboard

Mission: To celebrate womanhood through racial and gender justice. The WomanHOOD Project is an after school leadership program for young women of color in the Bronx. The WomanHOOD Project envisions the Bronx as a community known for its empowered youth who rightfully demand justice and acknowledgement of their dignity. By participating in WomanHOOD, young women of color emerge as leaders of their community, poised for their future and ready to take on community leadership roles. Our organization strives to be a space for growth and support for young adult women of color as well as for the high school young women we work with. We have written our own unique curriculum that teaches media literacy, community organizing and public speaking skills to young women of color through engagement with popular culture, political events and social justice.

Website: http://www.thewomanhoodproject.org/who-we-are
Mentor application: http://www.thewomanhoodproject.org/2015-2016-staff--mentor-application
Phone: n/a
Email: thewomanhoodproject.bronx@gmail.com

What volunteers do:

  • curriculum writers and mentors facilitate weekly workshops that teach media literacy, community organizing and public speaking skills (Friday afternoons for the academic year)

  • media/outreach volunteers develop social media content, advertisement and graphics, as well as newsletters

  • technological development volunteers work on website, graphic design, and app

  • handle operational logistics from taking minutes at staff meetings, outreach to potential partner organizations, draft partnership contracts

FYI:

  • open only to young women of color, under age 30; mentors must be between 18-25

  • application and 30-45-minute interview required (interview on Columbia campus)

  • must read organization's core values before applying

  • all positions require attendance at weekly staff meetings (Thursday nights from 8-9:30pm) and team retreats at Bronx office

  • mentors must enjoy and feel comfortable engaging with their peers in lively discussions ranging from politics to music to body image and representation

  • no previous curriculum writing experience required.

  • media volunteers must love images, videos, and articles by and about women of color

  • tech volunteers do not have to be experts

Borough: Bronx