AMERICAN SOUTH — The Southern Black Girls and Women's Consortium will grant $350,000 to two dozen community organizations across thirteen Southern states. The consortium is also conducting a summer "Joy and Justice" tour that includes community building activities, resource drives, and festivals in nine cities.

The grants will support organizations addressing maternal health, gender-based violence prevention, and educational initiatives. Most of the tour stops will be held at schools and community centers located in majority-Black neighborhoods. One planned event will be a rally at the Virginia Capitol featuring agency leaders who promote diversity within the state's government.

Chanceé Lundy, executive director of Southern Black Girls, stated that the organization is working to address a decline in philanthropic funding. "We've seen this retrenchment in philanthropy, and people are not putting resources on the ground," Lundy said. She added that the consortium aims to help organizations that are struggling. "Organizations are struggling, and we want to make sure that people know that we see them," she said.

LaTosha Brown, a voting rights activist and co-founder of the organization, commented on the challenges faced by Black women. "We're being punished for who we are," Brown said. Brown noted the historical involvement of Black women in social justice movements. "We have always been anchored, particularly in the social justice movements of this country, and I don't think that that's any different now," she said.

Why It Matters

The financial grants provided by The Southern Black Girls and Women's Consortium address specific needs within Southern community organizations working across thirteen states. The accompanying "Joy and Justice" tour expands this effort through direct engagement in nine cities, focusing on community-building and resource provision in areas with large Black populations. These initiatives come as the Trump administration has invoked civil rights laws to investigate instances of "anti-white racism" and "illegal DEI" in various entities, a context that speakers from the consortium referenced when discussing the current environment.