Black Men Build 2023 Impact Report

2023 IMPACT REPORT info@blackmen.build | www.blackmen.build |

@blackmenbuild

AMERICA 22%

People are heading into 2024 with fear. Fear that the divisions in our country are only getting worse. Fear that Black men will move to the Right. Fear that our Coalition will fracture further.

Fear that Black voters will become disengaged or face too many hurdles at the ballot box.

A New York Times poll reported that:

HAS A

PROBLEM

of Black Voters would vote for Trump in 2024. A 175% increase from 2022

*The poll surveyed registered voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – key states in the upcoming election.

The prospect of a Trump re-election buttressed by Black men is entirely avoidable, but ONLY with the correct strategy.

INTRODUCTION

Black Men Build began as a love letter and call to action from women and femmes in our larger movement. We recognized the millions being spent in online and offline recruitment of Black men into spaces that are increasingly misogynistic, anti-immigrant, anti-Black, homophobic, and transphobic – fueled and funded by right-wing interests. BMB is an answer to that call, and since 2020 we have built a national organization that engages Black Men in conversations that challenge their political, patriarchal, and personal biases – leading with a politic rooted in love and critical thinking.

As we approach our fourth year, the threat to Black life continues to escalate under the weight of economic, political, and ecological crises.

The attack on democracy, including successful attempts to disenfranchise, intimidate, and misinform Black voters, threatens our ability to build the type of nonpartisan independent political power necessary to mitigate harm while advancing structural changes.

Black Men Build is consistently and effectively engaging thousands of Black Men online and in cities across the country. Our work has produced a proven vehicle for political engagement, personal transformation, and community change. With your support, we can recruit more Black men into the broader movement for gender, racial, and economic justice.

In our 2023 Annual Impact Report, we spotlight our significant milestones as an organization and the nationwide impact of our initiatives.

“I chose BMB, not to try and define “men,” but to connect the attributes that make me who I am, to those people with the same mindset. So we can be the change the world challenges us to be.” – Mike Mac, member of BMB NYC Hub

OUR INFLUENCE

Black Men Build has been engaging Black men and women through strategic, consistent base-building in key swing states since June 2020.

We are a member-based organization with a strong cohort of dues-paying members, affiliates, and supporters committed to the work of organizing Black men before, during, and after the election cycle.

We have 8 Official Hubs in:

Atlanta Columbus Detroit Los Angeles

Miami Milwaukee New York St Louis

“Serving alongside my brothers and sisters in this organization has been a deeply transformative experience. It has been an incubator that has held and nurtured our collective resolve. It has also been a space that has encouraged us to be curious, creative, and solutionoriented about the way we engage with our problems.” – Malik Boman, member of BMB Miami Hub

A BIRD’S EYE VIEW

OUR CITIES NEED US TO MEET THE MOMENT In the last three years, Black Men Build has solidified its influence across the Midwest, the South, and East and West Coasts.

We are uniquely positioned to lead Black voter engagement across key swing states in 2024 due to our continued and trusted presence in our hub cities across the country.

BUILDING OUR BASE 4,668

663 107

17,105

566 5,150

Projected 100% increase of official hubs in 2024 as we seek to establish new hubs in Baltimore, Camden, Durham, Memphis, New Orleans, Orlando, Raleigh, and Sacramento.

100%

Increase of official hubs in 2024 (projected)

Leaders

Activists

Builders

Values Pledge Signees

Men’s Circle Attendees

Engaged Supporters

(Volunteers, Event Attendees, Local Donors)

THE HUBS

ENGAGING COMMUNITIES AROUND OUR MISSION The goal of every BMB hub is to create an active Membership Program, where our most dedicated supporters engage in weekly community service initiatives, Men’s Circles, political education (Theory Thursday and Mass Calls), and civic engagement.

BY THE NUMBERS:

248 5,150

Dues Paying Members

Values Pledge Signees

24% 101

Increase in Dues-Paying members from 2022

Full Members

PROGRAMMING Each of our Hubs has developed unique programming to recruit and educate new and prospective members. These include: National Days of Service, Community Health Clinics, Self Defense Classes, Gun Safety Trainings, Street Sweeps, Food Pantries, and mentoring programs for the youth.

TRANSFORMING OUR CITIES

1.5M

In funding secured for Little Haiti in Miami, FL with the support of BMB Miami

“I am a member of many organizations, locally and nationally. None of these organizations are as electrifying and all around present as Black Men Build. The moment I walked through the doors the work began. Work that is so necessary that it doesn’t even feel like work. BMB is impacting the community at every level, with real effects on people at the street level. Black Men Build introduced community building to Black Miami in a way that it could understand, in a way that we desperately needed.” — Danielle L. Campbell, 42, Miami, Fl.

THE HUBS

NEW MEN MUST

BE BORN

MEN’S CIRCLES We are a community in crisis. Black men are dying at high rates – from police brutality, intra-community violence, and mental health struggles. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among Black people ages 15 to 24. Black men are four times more likely to die by suicide than Black women are. We are in a mental crisis that remains largely unaddressed by the system, but Black Men Build is confronting this issue head-on with our Men’s Circles.

Black Men need a space to BE: be themselves, be in conversation, be challenged, be educated, be together. Our Men’s Circles bring together men (and in some cases women) twice a month for conversation, vulnerability, and sharing. This is a heart and spirit space. It is the bedrock of our programming and the foundation of how we build vulnerability, trust, and a politic of love in our organization.

BY THE NUMBERS:

663

Men’s Circle Attendees

93%

Increase in Attendees from 2022

We have active Men’s Circles in our 8 official hubs and in Baltimore, Camden, Durham, Memphis, New Orleans, Orlando, Raleigh, and Sacramento “The Men’s Circle is what brought me into Black Men Build. Initially, I came on board to facilitate these circles with the objective of being supportive of others and had no idea how much I needed them myself. Being in this space allows me to hear other voices and perspectives.” – Calvin Early, 36 (Miami)

MEN’S CIRCLES TESTIMONIALS

POLITICAL EDUCATION INITIATIVES 9,700 VIEWS 7,700 VIEWS We believe every Black Men Build Member, Affiliate, and Hub must serve as an educational center for our communities. With rampant misinformation targeting Black men online and in the community, we see this as a key part of our work and fight.

Black Men Build hosts Mass Calls that engage thousands of men and women across the country. Our most notable events of 2023 were our Mass Call with the late Dr. Mutulu Shakur, and our first in-person Mass Call with special guest Dr. Jared Ball, located in our developing Baltimore, Maryland hub.

Mass Call with Dr. Mutulu Shakur

Mass Call with Dr. Jared Ball

Our Mass Calls have strengthened the influence of BMB both in person and online, engaging Black men in topics necessary for our collective growth and prosperity.

3,380 40% Mass Call Attendees

Increase in Mass Call Attendance

WARTIME is the political and cultural magazine that speaks to Black life in America. Since WARTIME’s inception, we have created five unique issues documenting Black life from 2020 and beyond. At its core, WARTIME is a tool for political education, organizing, and transformation. Our unique distribution model gets copies into the hands of Black men, meeting them where they are – gyms, barbershops, community centers, local events, and our hubs. With every issue, we collaborate with Black writers, photographers, artists, and members of our own team to create a unique body of work. WARTIME is the political, cultural, and artistic vision of Black Men Build – free and accessible to the public.

16 Cities Nationwide Atlanta, Baltimore, Camden, Columbus, Detroit, Durham, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Raleigh, Sacramento, and St. Louis.

50,000

copies distributed to date

3,077 digital readers

OMMUNICATION

The right has a sprawling communications infrastructure, investing millions into recruiting Black men and women. We are building one to exceed it. Through a comprehensive omnichannel approach, we’re authentically connecting with Black men across diverse digital platforms.

18,507 26.34%

32,368

followers

12,000

likes

Email Subscribers

2,011

followers

Average Open Rate

945

subscribers

156

members

OUR PARTNERS 2023 birthed many fruitful partnerships with organizations across the country.

We joined the National African American Gun Association in July 2023 for their National Convention in Atlanta, GA. We hosted a local Men’s Circle for NAAGA attendees and connected on issues like gun safety, community protection, and more.

Black Men Build joined The Highlander Center in Tennessee for an organizing conference in September 2023. We brought our innovative Men’s Circle Programming to the Highlander Center Community, demonstrating the revolutionary impact of our Circles and the transformative effect they have on facilitators and audience members alike.

“Finding BMB was a turning point for me, a place that aligned with my need for love, support, and community. It’s become my anchor, helping me navigate life’s obstacles and strive to be my best self daily. Embracing imperfection, we show up, eager to learn and grow. Through organizing, volunteering, and forging lasting bonds, I’ve found a profound connection with my BMB brothers and sisters.” – Sabrina Williams, 37 (Miami)

2024 AT A GLANCE As we look ahead to the 2024 election cycle, we need an organization that speaks to Black men authentically and consistently. We need an organization that will take time, energy, and resources to educate, inform, and nurture the development of Black men as an organized force at local and national levels.

Our Solution?

Engagement Platforms:

THE NEW MEN TOUR

Driven by the unwavering mission of Black Men Build, the “New Men Tour” is an initiative tailored to redefine Black male engagement in the civic and electoral landscape for 2024. This project answers a fundamental question: How can we radically reshape the narrative around Black male voter engagement, education, and activation?

Our innovative strategy revolves around a multi-city tour targeting states with historically significant black voter impact. These states include California, North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, and Wisconsin, with additional stops in New York, Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Illinois.

Given our potential partners’ vast networks and our joint commitment, we are well poised to activate and engage upwards of 5,000 Black men during this tour.

At the heart of the New Men Tour lies our goal to test a powerful hypothesis: When political engagement is made accessible, relatable, and driven by a united front, Black men will not just participate but will become staunch advocates for civic involvement.

MEN’S CIRCLES 10 circles engaging 200 Black men.

MASS MEETINGS 10 city meetings involving 500 participants.

LIVE PODCASTS Engaging 1,000 Black men across 10 sessions.

CULTURAL CONCERTS Targeting 2,500 participants over 5 major city events.

JOB FAIRS Reaching an estimated 1,000 attendees across 5 fairs.

In 2024, we will produce our first electoral issue of WARTIME to accompany our New Men Tour. This issue will focus on the importance of multi-level civic engagement for Black people, institutional roadblocks that our communities may face, and how we can collectively ensure that Black people have easy access to the polls in 2024. WARTIME has a proven track record of mobilizing Black men due to our unique distribution model. Through WARTIME and the New Men Tour, Black Men Build will be the leading organization in engaging Black men around electoral politics through consistent political education, service, and base building.

WARTIME has a current operating budget of $50,000, inclusive of design, printing costs, artist fees, and distribution.

2024

TEAM EXPANSION

Black Men Build seeks to expand its team in 2024.

Over the past three years, we have focused primarily on building out a robust Field Program, with currently 10 full-time paid organizers on our staff, and 15 prospective organizers in training.

In 2024, we will build out our Development and Operations Team in order to meet our strategic goals around base building, developing new hubs, executing our New Men Tour, and scaling our WARTIME operations across the country. We will be hiring for crucial roles:

MANAGING DIRECTOR DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & CULTURE DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR CONTENT CREATORS

DONATE DONATE DONATE TO TO TO BLACK BLACK BLACK MEN MEN MEN BUILD BUILD BUILD BLACK MEN BUILD IS RAISING 3 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE 2024 FISCAL YEAR

DONATE TO BLACK MEN BUILD

In a critical 2024, we must have Black Men in our coalition more than ever. Our opposition has spent years investing hundreds of millions into a strategy to recruit Black men.

With your support, Black Men Build has built a crucial force for change, nurturing trust and mobilizing action among the very communities that our coalition needs the most. Our goal is to raise $3 million in 2024.

Your investment will fuel the expansion of our frontline: hiring 8 more dedicated organizers to grow chapters in key cities, scaling our online and print communications to effectively reach millions of Black men, and enhancing our political education programs to ensure Black men have access to the information and resources they need for powerful, informed action.

STAY CONNECTED To become a monthly sustainer or make a one-time donation, please visit: BLACKMEN.BUILD/DONATION

We are grateful for your support.

THANK YOU info@blackmen.build | www.blackmen.build |

@blackmenbuild