Black Seeds School: Cohort 7

Program Type: Training cohort for movement building

Geographic Scope: Portland, Oregon (Old Town neighborhood)

Cost: Free to participants; needs-based stipends available

Program Overview

The Black Seeds School is a five-day intensive training cohort designed to build the capacity of Black movement organizers, activists, and strategists. It contributes to building the critical mass required to sustain social movements.

Black Seeds is a school within Imagine Black's Black Leadership Academy (BLA), which has trained over 115 Black leaders and graduated six cohorts (as of Cohort 7). Through the BLA, Imagine Black builds a cohort of transformative Black leaders who see themselves as kin—a collective, critical mass fighting behind, for, and with one another.

Eligibility

Who Can Apply:

• People 21 years and older who identify as Black or of the African Diaspora
• Able to travel to Old Town neighborhood, Portland, Oregon for in-person participation
• This cohort is intended for people of African descent. If you do not identify as Black, please do not apply.

Ideal Participant Profile:

• Unapologetic: Bold, progressive Black leaders who want to learn a framework rooted in Black radical imagination and with a Black Queer Feminist Lens
• Community Focused: Believe that Black people and families are experts in their lives and the solutions needed to build a better future
• Involved in Movement Work: Currently part of an organizing effort or seeking to strengthen organizing practice through base-building strategies
• Diverse: The program embraces diversity and commits to building a cohort representing a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills within the African diaspora

Expectations

• Ideal participation: 100% attendance at all sessions
• Minimum requirement: 80% attendance
• Participants expected to arrive on time, participate actively, and demonstrate self-reliance in learning
• Room and board are not available

Stipend Information

Needs-based stipends are available for a restricted number of participants. Applicants can specify in their application if a stipend would help eliminate obstacles to full participation.

Training Dates & Schedule

• Tuesday, October 17, 2023: 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
• Wednesday, October 18, 2023: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
• Thursday, October 19, 2023: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
• Friday, October 20, 2023: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
• Saturday, October 21, 2023: 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Instructors

Ekundayo Igeleke (he/him) - Popular educator, culture worker, national strategist, grassroots organizer and writer. Resource Generation's Multi Racial Basebuilding Strategist and founding Creative-in-Chief of Culture Dream Lab. Co-launched Freedom School programs and has extensive experience in youth justice and base building.

Danita Harris (they/them) - Native Portlander with long-time activism focused on LGBTQIA+ rights, worker's rights, Black liberation, economic justice, and democratic participation. Extensive organizing history in Oregon including WomXn's March 2018, Yes on 97 Campaign, and Oregon Working Families Party.

Keith Tervalon (he/him) - Seasoned community organizer born and raised in Oakland, California. Contributed to numerous impactful campaigns through Oakland Rising, advocating for criminal justice reform, ranked-choice voting, minimum wage increases, and progressive electoral victories.

Organization Background

Imagine Black (formerly PAALF Action Fund) is a 501(c)(3) multi-issue grassroots organization in partnership with sibling 501(c)(4) organization, Imagine Black.

Mission: Helps the Black community imagine the alternatives they deserve and build political participation and leadership to achieve those alternatives.

Founded: 2009

Vision: A world where people of African descent enjoy the rights, resources, and recognition to be a thriving, resilient, and connected community.

Approach: Uses Black Queer Feminist (BQF) theory and practice, which provides a more holistic understanding of Black people's conditions and connectedness. Lifts up voices, experiences, and prioritizes issues of historically silenced and vulnerable groups within Black communities—specifically queer, trans and GNC, femme, poor, disabled, working, and undocumented people.

Contact Information

• Email: danita@imagineblack.org
• Phone: 503-764-9019
• Address: Portland, Oregon (specific address shared upon acceptance)

Important Notes

• Imagine Black will share the specific training address upon acceptance into the school
• Virtual interviews will be scheduled if applications are received (based on Cohort 6/7 timeline)
• Application acknowledgment emails are sent upon submission

How to Apply

Application Deadline: September 17, 2023, at 11:59 PM PT

Note: This deadline has passed as of today's date (2026-04-03). This information is provided for historical reference.

Application Process

1. Submit Application Online
- Applications must be submitted through the online portal at imagineblackaction.com/cohort-7-apply
- Deadline: September 17, 2023, at 11:59 PM PT
- An acknowledgment email will be sent upon submission

2. Interviews (if applicable to your cohort year)
- Virtual interviews scheduled to occur between September 19-29, 2023

Application Requirements

• Complete the online application form
• If stipend needed: Specify in your application if a needs-based stipend would help eliminate obstacles to your full participation
• Be prepared to answer questions about your organizing experience and commitment to movement work

Questions

For application questions, contact:

Danita Harris

Email: danita@imagineblack.org