Join Us

Strategic Priorities:

 

A) Expanding our reach; deepening our discourse

 

Expanding the reach of BGS and our ideas in a measured way is crucial part of our success and effectiveness. At the core of BGS’s approach is an emphasis on face-to-face dialogue. We recognize that as the breadth and depth of our public exposure expands so too does our mission. Therefore, the goal is to encourage new participants to deepen their involvement with BGS’s programs.

 

B) Enhancing the use of technology

 

In our commitment to make our work accessible and relevant, BGS continues to explore the use of technology. Our goal is to continuously develop branded BGS web channels for video clips of our activities. In doing this, we hope to deepen our online community’s participation with BGS. Furthermore, the use of technology not only allows us to build our internet community, but also to provides our BGS members a network to link members and participants with others in business, politics, education, and advocacy across the globe more easily and directly in order to expand their impact on society.

 

C) BGS member only seminars and community network events

 

The ability to network our members more quickly and effectively with others in their same areas of interest and work is at the heart of BGS Social Justice and Human Rights Council. Our ability to network our members ensures greater capacity for economic development for individuals and communities, encourages thoughtful consideration to new ideas and perspectives, and broadens the work for diversity and inclusion. Therefore BGS is committed to strengthening our marketing, scholarships, and our core of moderators to insure long-term viability of BGS seminars and network events.

 

D) BGS Global Leaders Network

 

BGS is committed to bringing together the brightest minds in business, academia, and public life whether in arts, politics, or religion to ensure a more cohesive global network and to connect members across BGS with the latest in research on issues that impacts their daily lives. Therefore we seek to enhance our capacity to weave leadership among BGS members more intricately and directly in order to facilitate better collective action and social partnerships.

 

Criteria:

• Ability to concisely define a program or activity
• Articulate the mission of every program or activity
• Provide a rationale as to why a program or activity is appropriate for BGS. In other words explain how it fits with the mission of BGS.
• Identify the target audience for a program or activity, particularly which sector within BGS membership or community is the program trying to serve.
• Ensure sustainability of a program or activity. Will the program be viable for the prescribed time period?
• Develop a metric(s) of success. How will the program be measured?
• Create a funding stream or philosophy for the program. In other words, illustrate how the program will cover costs, create a revenue stream, or seek a subsidy.

 

 

B) Justice & Reentry

 

BGS is avowedly committed to black and brown communities. We believe that Black Lives Matter! Without question, one of the greatest challenges to the social, economic, and political well-being of communities of color is the problems facing men and women with felony convictions in the United States. Over 600,000 people leave prison each ear. The men and women that leave prison face an array of interconnected challenges to include employment, education, housing, social isolation, and more. The United States incarcerates more people than any other industrial country in the world. The increasing number of imprisoned people, particularly people of color, requires a more intentional engagement of law enforcement organizations, criminal and juvenile courts, and state and federal prison associations. For this reason, BGS works to apply innovative approaches to address the very real challenges millions of men and women labeled felon in the United States. BGS addresses the broad range of challenges facing our legal system, and the communities most impacted by it.

 

In addition, BGS examines other areas of justice wherein particular communities are disproportionately and unfairly impacted. As an education and policy studies organization dedicated to social justice and human rights BGS is committed to informing our members and their respective communities to areas where justice is calling us to attention.

 

As an education and policy studies organization dedicated to social justice and human rights, BGS is committed to informing our members and their respective communities to the structures hindering millions of United States citizens, and the impact it has on black and brown communities. Therefore, we are dedicated to the creation of policy solutions, seminars, and programs that would yield pragmatic solutions.

 

• Advisors: Nicole D. Porter, Director of Advocacy Sentencing Project
• Advisors: Tommie Dorsett, Regional Director Prison Fellowship Ministries
• Advisors: Glenn E. Martin, Founder and President Just Leadership USA

 

C) Education

 

The history and foundation of Black Greek is grounded in the activity of African American men and women on college campuses. Therefore, education, particularly educational equity, is inseparable from the mission of BGS. We recognize that a well-educated citizenry enhances the economic and political well-being of society. BGS works extends to all the areas within education that impact our global economy to include pre-Kindergarten to graduate school education. As an education and policy studies organization dedicated to social justice and human rights, BGS provides a space wherein communities can engage in discourse and problem solving solutions with other parents, students, educators and policy leaders across the country.

 

• Advisors: Wesley L. Boykins, Ed.D.,

 

D) Equity and Diversity

 

The United States, unlike any other country across the globe, leads in its diversity among its citizenry. However, that diversity is not always equitable in its policies, structures, and systems.  While BGS is committed to Black Greeks, we recognize and honor the diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic and religious perspectives among our membership and in our world. Thus the work of BGS is to expand an understanding of diversity and equity through is programs and initiatives, as well as, through our commitment to a diverse and equitable membership. As an education and policy studies organization dedicated to social justice and human rights, BGS advances how society thinks about the diverse ways human beings exists in the world, and the ways society might create equitable structures that respects that diversity. As an education and policy studies organization dedicated to social justice and human rights, BGS raises the level of the discourse on issues such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion and more in order to construct a world that advances the vision and mission of BGS.

 

• Advisor:

 

E) Church and Society

 

Historically the church has been a pivotal institution in the political life of communities in the United States. That work of the church has had both positive and negative effects. It has been responsible for the affirmation and the negation of human rights and dignity. Although, the role of church is society has been debated since the founding of the United States, it without question one of the most influential institutions in our contemporary society. Therefore, BGS brings together religious leaders of all faith perspectives to address the role religion plays in our social and political life, and calls attention to the places wherein these institutions might continue to aid in social justice and human rights campaigns. As an education and policy studies organization dedicated to social justice and human rights, BGS holds to the idea that religious discourse is crucial for the advancement of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s notion of the Beloved Community.

 

• Advisor:

 

F) Business and Economic Development

 

Black Greeks Speak recognizes the importance of the economy and economic issues in advancing an equal opportunity society. For this reason our programs and seminars aims to address the challenging economic realities facing our country to include disproportionate high unemployment, poverty and foreclosures, etc. Our work enhances the capacity of BGS members, African Americans, and other underserved groups, through financial economic education; promoting diversity and inclusion in business hiring, career advancement and procurement; monitoring financial banking practices and promoting community economic development.

 

For many communities, particularly communities of color, the U.S. economic recovery from the recession remains fragile amid weak job creation and persistently high rates of long-term unemployment. An anemic housing market, mounting U.S. government debt, and instability abroad all threaten to slow economic growth. BGS experts and programs analyze the full array of domestic and global economic issues, in order to provide better guidance to policymakers. We recognize that confidence in the private sector is key to economic recovery and job creation, particularly private sector investment to help restore the nation’s crumbling infrastructure, which is essential to boosting American competitiveness in the global economy. BGS offer analysis on how government regulations impact businesses at home and abroad and offer insight on reforms that can enhance market performance and support expansion and job creation, especially through our BGS member’s global network.

 

• Advisor:

 

G) Community and Cultural Awareness

 

Artists, musicians, writers, dancers, and actors have used a wide range of artistic mediums to shape culture and community. Black Greeks such as Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, Paul Robeson, and countless others have shaped the language and imagery used to articulate social justice and human rights across the globe. BGS continues that legacy by honoring the artists who utilize their creativity and talent to advance social justice issues and human rights concerns through the medium of art.  As an education and policy studies organization, BGS utilizes our work to explore ways art challenges society.

 

• Advisor:

 

H) Young Women’s Enterprise

There cannot be full social equality unless we continue to address issues facing both genders. For this reason BGS tackles the various social justice and human rights issues that impact young women from female trafficking, domestic violence,  to gender identity.

 

• Advisor:

 

I) Young Male Initiative

 

In September 2014, President Obama issued a challenge to cities, towns, counties and tribes across the country to take on the task of the My Brothers’ Keeper initiative. BGS has taken up the call and became a part of the MBK Community. Therefore, we have created space for BGS members to respond to this call to action. Therefore we work to construct programs to address many of the vital forces and structural components needed to enact sustainable change through policy, programs, and partnerships.

 

As an education and policy organization dedicated to social justice and human rights, we believe that by becoming a part of The MBK Community we can encourage, train, and link Black Greeks across the country and the communities that we serve to implement a coherent cradle-to-college-and-career strategy for improving the life outcomes of all young people, particular young males of color, and to ensure that they can reach their full potential, regardless of who they are, where they come from, or the circumstances into which they are born.

 

BGS stand at the ready to work with our partners, members, and organizations in government and philanthropy to expand upon the promising practices and programs that have shown the ability to produce measurable differences in the lives of young men. We will embrace transparency and share the lessons we have learned to ensure our young men are supported as they navigate their way to adulthood.

 

• Advisor: Tommy Curry, Ph.D. Associate Professor Texas A & M University

 

BGS Sub-committees are actively engaged in connecting scholarship with grassroots activism and organization. Some of the activities include:

•  Widely disseminate research and white papers that highlight successful civic engagement initiatives.
• Coordinate seminar and trainings for communities regarding voter registration, state grand jury selection processes,                         know your rights with the police, and local policies on civil engagement.
• Host public events with public officials, community leaders, and educators for the purpose of constructing practical solutions for communities.
• Provide members access to BGS network in order to enhance their civic engagement activities.
• To connect with one of our sub-committees or for more information please email us at info@blackgreeksspeak.org