Kandace Montgomery

“How are we building organizations that can sustain the long fight?” Those were the words of speaker Kandace Montgomery who is the co-director of Black Visions. Black Visions is an organization focused on organizing and building sustainable movements to fight for the lives of Black people, led by Black Queer and Trans people.

Montgomery spoke about the origins of Black Visions and what they have been working on recently: divesting funds from the police and using that money to invest in the local community, reimaging public safety and organizing mutual aid funds for residents in Brooklyn Center and Minneapolis, among many other things. Montgomery’s presentation focused on how to organize and build groups that will last. She advised taking steps to meet people where they’re at. Don’t just provide statistics, but find a way to tell a story. For those looking for ways to help the fight for racial justice, Montgomery recommends following Reclaim The Block, a Minneapolis-founded grassroots organization focused on relocating MPD funds, on Twitter and Instagram and keeping up to date with opportunities to get involved as well as places to donate.