ORGANIZING
WHAT ORGANIZING MEANS AT BLV
Here at Black Visions, we are a Black-led, Queer and Trans-centered organization committed to building a powerful Black community. Meaning all the organizing work we do is through the lens of Black-queer feminism.
We build through resilience, transformation and collective liberation practices. We are committed to dismantling systems of harm.
Community Safety
We believe safety is built through strong communities, not systems that criminalize and harm Black people. Through organizing, advocacy, and community-led solutions, we work to expand access to care, resources, and support.
Our community safety work brings people together to prevent harm, strengthen collective care, and build community-led approaches to safety. We advocate for investments that help Black communities thrive beyond policing.
Environmental Justice
Environmental justice is a racial justice issue. Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities are disproportionately impacted by environmental harm while often having the least access to clean air, clean water, healthy food, and green spaces.
At Black Visions, we organize for environmental solutions that protect both people and the planet. We believe environmental justice is inseparable from community safety because healthy communities depend on safe environments, equitable access to resources, and policies that sustain future generations.
Policy Advocacy
Policy shapes every part of our lives, from housing and education to public safety and economic opportunity. At Black Visions, we organize alongside our communities to advance policies that build Black power, expand equity, and dismantle systems of harm.
Grounded in our Black queer feminist politics, our advocacy centers the leadership of those most impacted and advances community-driven solutions that create lasting change.
THE HISTORY OF OUR WORK
2017 | Black Visions Begins
A group of Black organizers came together to imagine a new future for Black organizing in Minnesota. Their work centered Black leadership, with several founders identifying as queer and trans, laying the foundation for the Black queer feminist politics that continue to guide Black Visions today.
2018 | The Budget Fight
Black Visions partnered with community organizers to launch what became Reclaim the Block, a campaign demanding that Minneapolis invest in community-led safety instead of expanding policing. The campaign successfully redirected more than $1.1 million toward community safety initiatives, proving that organized communities can reshape public investment.
2020 | The Uprising
Following the murder of George Floyd, Black Visions helped organize community responses, including the #DefundMPD march and People's Path Forward. As global support poured in, Black Visions redistributed more than $9.1 million in grants and emergency relief while navigating rapid organizational growth and deepening accountability to our community.
2021 | Yes On 2
More than 62,000 Minneapolis voters supported replacing the Police Department with a Department of Public Safety. While the amendment did not pass, the campaign shifted public conversation and demonstrated that nearly 44% of voters were ready to imagine a different approach to community safety.
2022 | Building Black Political Power
Black Visions led a large-scale Get Out the Vote campaign focused on Black communities across Minneapolis. With support from organizers nationwide, the campaign expanded civic engagement, strengthened organizing infrastructure, and laid the groundwork for future electoral work.
2023–2026 | Deepening Our Roots
In recent years, Black Visions has continued building power through partnerships, political education, and community action. From organizing to shut down the HERC trash incinerator, which has polluted North Minneapolis for decades, to stewarding a community garden alongside local partners, our work remains rooted in creating healthier, more sustainable communities. We continue to advocate at the State Capitol for affordable, equitable energy policies while investing in the next generation of movement leaders through our political education programs, membership, and fellowship opportunities. Through our partnership with Headwaters Foundation, we have helped move resources directly into Black communities through sustained community grantmaking, ensuring those most impacted have the support they need to lead and thrive. Together, this work strengthens our collective power and lays the foundation for a more just future.
RESOURCES
| [MPLS Beyond Policing] |
| [MPD150 Report + FAQ]
PARTNERSHIPS
Community partnership is foundational to the organizing work of Black Visions. Here are our current partners.
Families Supporting Families Against Violence (FSFAV), MN Wrongfully Convicted, Black Lives Matter, Movement 4 Black Lives, End Slavery in MN Coalition, Black Mass, MN POC Pride, Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, CLEAR Coalition, Sex Worker Outreach Project (SWOP), Project Sweetie Pie, Blackbird Revolt, Headwaters Foundation for Justice, Nexus Community Partners, Take Action Minnesota, Black Table Arts, REP for MN, TIGERRS, and the George Floyd Square Community Visioning Council (CVC).