Black and Brown Workers Collective

Standing at the intersection of the Worker’s Right’s movement and the Black Lives Matter movement, the Black and Brown Workers Collective are combating injustices happening every day in the community—deliberate wage disparity, racial bias, sexual abuse and harassment, and more. The 200+ strong group strive to challenge and dismantle systems of oppression through collective community action.

Media Mobilizing Project

This media-based nonprofit uses storytelling as a means for community social justice, and has built a network of media, education, and organization resources to help fight for critical human rights issues. In January it launched #PhillyWeRise, an independent online platform to connect Philadelphians to fight against “the Trump agenda” and its surrounding social challenges.

NeedsList

Launched on World Refugee Day in June, NeedsList connects refugee aid workers with people who want to donate money, time, or supplies. The social enterprise platform helps build relationships between donors, NGOs, and dozens of nonprofit organizations serving refugees in Europe and the US.

Broad Street Ministry

For over 10 years, Broad Street Ministry has built a reputation for providing free meals and social services to the vulnerable population of Philadelphia. In addition to simply giving its community the opportunity to break bread, services provided include clothing, health and personal care, legal services, counseling and also a mailing address–of which up to 3,000 people utilize–as a foundation for a functional life. On the horizon, their Rooster Soup Co. collaboration with Federal Donuts will further enable BSM to fight local hunger.

Community Futures Lab

Launched in June by public advocacy attorney Rasheedah Phillips and Camae Ayewa, the Community Futures Lab is a resource library, community studio and gallery, workshop space, story recording booth, thinktank, experimental space and more. Over the next year, Black Quantum Futurism, the space’s organizing group, will be building and enacting a quantum time capsule, exploring oral histories/futures, preservation, displacement, and alternative temporalities within the North Philadelphia community known as Sharswood/Blumberg,  a multidisciplinary community activist art project.

Coded by Kids

Founded by Sylvester Mobley, an Iraq war veteran, Coded by Kids was created to teach “underserved urban youth website development skills and other basic digital literacy.” The organization gives children a safe and supportive learning environment where they can learn coding basics, real world development skills, and preparation for successful careers in the tech industry through internships and college prep. This year, CbK expanded its after-school offerings and tested an array of pilot programs, including a new apprenticeship program.