Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County (BLMSKC) is starting an Advisory Board to help organize and direct the work of this chapter. If you’re interested, we want to hear from you. No experience is necessary, so if you’ve never done something like this before do not let that stop you! Here’s the form to get you started.
The role of the Advisory Board is to help in two areas:
- Direct Action: Direct action is not limited to physical protest. BLM Seattle-King County will need to continue to plan and grow its direct action priorities for the year, and, be prepared to respond to incidents impacting our communities in real time. Another goal is to provide resources, events, and ongoing opportunities to our communities across the county. The founding members of BLMSKC have already met with the King County Executive to start addressing these issues- the results of that initial meeting will have immediate, long term and lasting impacts on people and families. You can read more about the outcomes of that meeting here.
- Growing the Organization: BLMSKC is a non profit organization registered in Washington state. A strong, manageable organization is going to be critical to this work, not just for the people doing it now, but the people who will do it in the future; BLM is leaderless in a sense, but no less powerful in its ability to demand change and empower the people. BLM Seattle-King County should survive and thrive as its stewards change.
BLMSKC is looking for people who can commit to 9 months of volunteer support. Members of the AB are able to give an estimated 2 hours each week (online), including 1 monthly, in person meeting, to support the work of the chapter. Volunteers should have reliable internet access. The minimum age to be a part of the AB is 16.
If you want to support BLMSKC by joining the Advisory Board, click here. Don’t be intimidated by the questions. There are no wrong answers. If you don’t know the answer to something, that’s okay. The goal is to learn more about you and help put together the best team possible. We care about who you are as a person more than your past experience as an organizer. To sign up for other volunteer opportunities, click here.
This chapter was started with the understanding that there is a need for a strong BLM chapter, and a belief in ourselves and each other that we can build it together. Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County is a non-profit organization and a grassroots social justice cooperative focused on the empowerment and liberation of Black and other people of color through advocacy and direct action. BLM Seattle-King County centers leadership on Black femmes, women, queer, and trans people dedicated to the safety, protection, agency and liberation of Black people.
Creating a county-wide chapter was a strategic decision intended to maximize the representation and impact of our work. More and more, Black and other people of color do not live just in Seattle. One of the impacts of gentrification means Black and POC live all over King County. Even though the work of Seattle-centric activism is important and will continue and will be supported by this BLM chapter, those same issues exist in all of the county’s 39 cities and unincorporated King County.
People understand the impact King County government has in our lives and our communities. They also understand that the county has to be held accountable for the laws and policies that harm people. As a county-wide chapter we will be looking for Advisory Board members from all over the county.
If you have questions or are having trouble accessing the form, email us at info@blacklivesseattle.org