The Black Block Community Foundation is on its mission, committed to promoting and supporting business, property, and land ownership by acquiring, allocating, and identifying financial and other resources for individuals, groups, companies, sole proprietors, and associations in disproportionately impacted communities.
Through community partnerships leading to strong collaboration among regular community people and stakeholders, the Black Block Resource Committee in the Downtown area of the City of Pawtucket was formed. Led by Christian Urban Missionary, Principal Property Owner, and more recently unanimously board-voted, Executive Director Leslie Moore, the outmost goal was to organize efforts that would support equity in health, property, and economy in response to inappropriately being served by unsolicited gentrification attempts by nonmembers of our community, whose lived experiences of slavery and oppressive backgrounds had not been shared with most of the people represented in our district.
Among many pivotal actions taken in these collaborative conversations, the establishment of The Black Block Community Foundation as an anchor of The Black Block Cultural District stemmed from mutually agreed-upon goals. The Board of Directors of The Black Block Community Foundation (BBCF), has taken a stance of being guided by racial, ethnic, cultural, and faith-based values to ensure that its vision and legacy continue. BBCF's State of Rhode Island's incorporation date is 3/16/2023, and through the generous donation from the Grassroots Fund Seed Grant BBCF was able to secure capital to acquire basic software, email accounts management, communication tools, liability insurance, and the fee to submit our IRS application for tax exemption status. Shortly after in June of 2023, BBCF officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization as a public charity with tax exemption status.
We follow a mutually agreed upon conversational communications style, where meetings are open and embracing, and leadership understands and operates under racial, ethnic, and cultural values and principles that respect equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
Furthering our cause is the most important goal of our organization. We seek to support, empower, and provide high-quality resources to the Black Block Cultural District community. Among many other priorities, we provide cultural representation, community development, technical assistance and services for small businesses, workforce development, advocacy matters, and education.
EQUITY
Making Change Possible through Arts and Culture
INCLUSION
Empowering Others with Skills
ACCESSIBILITY
Transforming Lives with Knowledge
The Black Block Community Foundation is achieving more with our initiatives than ever before, and we are very proud of the progress we continue to make.
The Black Block Community Foundation is achieving more with our initiatives than ever before, and we are very proud of the progress we continue to make. Below are some of our most recent projects. To keep informed on what we do, who we help, and how we work every day to create a lasting impact., subscribe to our mailing list.
In partnership with the Comprehensive Community Action Plan (CCAP) and Health Equity Zone (HEZ) of Central Falls/Pawtucket, The Black Block Community Foundation hosts a preparedness work readiness program for all youth, intentionally including those who identify as BIPOC youth between the ages of 18 - 24. The journey starts with intensive entrepreneurship training, proceeds with local career exploration and exposure opportunities, and transitions to placement in supervised-assigned structured work experience sites in one of more than 50 small businesses and nonprofits in the Black Block Cultural District.
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The "Black Block Community Foundation - $150,000 to assist in the installation of large murals and other improvements to increase foot traffic and public art in Pawtucket" - Governor Dan McKee's press release. As one of the 10 projects across Rhode Island selected as recipients of the 2023 Main Street Rhode Island Streetscape Improvement Fund, The Black Block Cultural District Music & Mural tour will weave throughout the core of Downtown Pawtucket, RI. The mural and music projection sites are located on Main Street, High
Street, Summer Street, and Maple Street. This project, which is projected to be completed in 2024, aims to support the numerous small
businesses that have existed or launched in the Downtown Pawtucket core in the last 4 years.
Numerous investments have been made to ready the interior of commercial spaces in downtown Pawtucket to accommodate local entrepreneurs. This Cultural Music and Mural Tour project seeks to project the energy and vitality of the business community inside of downtown Pawtucket buildings onto the exterior of the buildings of the downtown Pawtucket core. In
addition, the music and mural tour will use QR code technology to allow visitors and patrons to learn more about the images painted on the buildings and also 1) learn about the businesses located inside of the buildings, 2) tap into discounts connected to those businesses, and 3) leave contact information that can be used to alert them of area happenings. This project aims to benefit all stakeholders of the community by using art and music to quickly alert and draw visitors further into the existing and growing cultural hub of business from disproportionally impacted communities.
The Black Block Community Foundation "received a Seed grant in 2023 for their programs and services supporting businesses and community members in the Black Block historic neighborhood in their community," - Grassroots Fund. Because the Black Block Community Foundation (BBCF) began as an unfunded nonprofit organization operating under accessible, inclusive, and equitable values, its founding board was established by governing documentation that emerged from members of an initial community group: the Black Block Resource Committee. Being that each director and member had pledged a strong commitment to racial, ethnic, and cultural values this has helped to ensure that BBCF's vision and legacy continue. The Black Block Community Foundation not only represents the members of the Black Block community but also follows equity principles by forming a board-appointed committee to lead The Black Block Community Association (BBCA) with the purpose of intentionally including the community members’ decision-making voice and power for the betterment of the community. The grant has served as a pivotal force in the foundational formation and has helped to build, improve, and expand the community members' efforts and voices, and has also maximized the organizing strategy for The Black Block Cultural District.
| blackblockcommunityfoundation@gmail.com | |
| Sarah Rejouis | |
| President/Board Madam Chair | |
| https://www.blackblockcommunityfoundation.org |
