It is with deep gratitude to the community leaders we work with and for that we close out 2020, a year  truly like no other. Change Consulting will be closed from December 21 through January 4.  In the words of our founder and CEO, “Now is the time to take stock in all 2020 has been, integrate our lessons, and rest up so we can continue to fight for what we believe in.” Bilen reflects on an extraordinary year and highlights from our clients’ work in a new blog post on our website.

From all of us at Change Consulting, we wish you a happy, healthy, restful and safe holiday, and we will see you in 2021, ready to face the challenges and the wins, together. 

Client News:

Thanks to Shondaland and the teams at Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 for lifting up Black Girl Freedom Fund in their crossover winter finale last night! Check out highlights on social media @BlkGrlFreedom or watch the episode at abc.com/shows/greys-anatomy.

“Progressive grassroots groups and AAPI advocacy groups in Georgia, and especially around Atlanta, have done an especially good job organizing AAPIs and connecting the hardships and biases they face (which AAPIs everywhere face) to politics and to progressive politics.” In Georgia’s 7th Congressional District, AAPI voters helped turn a historically red district blue, securing a win for Democrat Carolyn Bordeaux, according to data from the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund. NBC Asian America. 

Photo: Amir Aziz

“Thanks to the leadership of Black people and communities of color, a historic number of voters turned out to make their voice heard in this year’s election, in many cases in the face of profound challenges. We see the largest racial justice movement of our lifetime, gaining new ground all over the world.” Akonadi Foundation president Lateefah Simon offers her reflections on 2020 and highlights from Akonadi’s grantee partners that are leading the racial justice movement. 

In a radical act of self love and community, the Young Women’s Freedom Center shut down allo of their offices from December 14 through January 4. TaMeicka “Ifasina” Clear, Director Culture and Healing for the Young Women’s Freedom Center, reminds us that “rest is not a luxury.”

“A lot of the time, we, as youth of color, are involved with systems that negatively impact us, and are victims to punitive punishments and biases because of our skin color. If we are to get youth to college, we need to shift the responsibility from the youth, who are under the burden of a system not built for them, onto the system for removing the barriers to college.” Alejandro Galicia Cervantes, a Junior at UC Davis, shared his story for the California Funders for Boys and Men of Color Here to Lead campaign, about how young people need a seat at the table in making the policy decisions that impact their daily lives.