CLIENT NEWS: 

For the first time in their 15-year history, the Brotherhood of Elders Network (BOEN) is unveiling its inaugural impact report, Ujima in Action: Building Power and Wellness Across Generations. This powerful milestone captures the heart of their mission – who they are, what they stand for, and what they’re building alongside community: thriving Black families grounded in unity, wellness, cultural strength, and collective responsibility. Change had the honor of partnering with BOEN on this project from conception to the finished product. Read the full report here. 

 

Change Consulting’s media relations team collaborated with our partners Black Futures Lab and Black to the Future Action Fund to contribute two pieces for NextCity’s Roadblocks to Democracy five-part series: 

  • How Preemption Undoes Multiracial Democracy: an op-ed by Brooke Floyd, member of the Black to the Future Public Policy Institute network, discussing how Mississippi’s Black communities are organizing to reclaim self-governance and build more just community-led systems even as the state employs contemporary forms of suppression aimed at weakening Black political power.
  • Black Dispossession Was Designed Systemically. Rebuilding Civic Power Must Be, Too.: an op-ed by James Jeter, member of the Black to the Future Public Policy Institute network, discusses how systemic policies in the U.S., from the betrayal of Reconstruction to modern felony disenfranchisement, have targeted Black communities through economic, political, and legal oppression. It also highlights the resilience and organizing that continues to reclaim power and reshape democracy.

Also, check out the Reclamation Starts Now series by Black Futures Lab with NextCity which covers forces eroding democracy and how we can restore it from the ground up. 

 

In case you missed it:

  • Nearly 1,300 violence prevention advocates, city officials, and researchers descended on Louisville, Kentucky in late October for the Cities United conference, an annual gathering for anti-violence workers to share best practices. Despite federal support collapsing, advocates sought to reclaim momentum and hope. Read more in The Trace.
  • “Less crime is good news but what also matters is whether people feel a change,” said Tinisch Hollins, Executive Director of Californians for Safety and Justice in this Associated Press article in which Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee discusses her city’s struggle with violent crime and tells federal law enforcement to stay away. 
  • Michael Gomez Daly, Political Director of the California Donor Table, told the San Francisco Chronicle that voters haven’t tuned into the governor’s race lately noting that Prop. 50 has diverted attention and many communities are “on defense, fighting what’s happening nationally,” even as California faces the prospect of electing another white male governor for the first time in 150 years.
  • The Black Collective Foundation Minnesota hosted the first-ever Collective Sum, a three-day multicultural gathering in Minneapolis that drew 300 changemakers for workshops, art, wellness, and strategy sessions centered on Black culture and racial justice. Check out more in this interview with KARE 11.

 

CHANGE NEWS:

 

We’re thrilled to celebrate our Founder and CEO Bilen Mesfin Packwood for receiving the Gold Anthem Community Voice Award AND Silver r for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Business Leader at the 5th Annual Anthem Awards! Out of 2,000+ submissions from 42 countries, the Anthem Awards honor voices that are driving meaningful global change. We’re deeply honored that her leadership continues to inspire action and impact communities worldwide. Deep gratitude to everyone who voted!

Earlier this week, our Founder and CEO, Bilen Mesfin Packwood, and VP of Media Relations, Alexis Meisels, had the honor of attending the PR Daily’s Top Agencies Awards Luncheon in New York City. The prestigious industry celebration marked two exciting achievements: an honorable mention for Executive of the Year and another for PR Professional of the Year. Huge congratulations to our outstanding team members whose dedication and leadership made these recognitions possible!

Crises happen to good people and good orgs. The way you respond can protect your reputation and the trust you have built. We’ve learned a lot over nearly two decades of doing rapid response and crisis communications in service of racial and social justice and we’ve excited to keep passing those insights along. Our latest post, How to Build a Crisis Communications Protocol That Works, walks through how we support organizations and leaders in building a strong crisis plan. Check it out here. 

Also be sure to take a look at other installments of our rapid response and crisis communications blog series including:  

Have questions or topics you want us to cover? Email us at hello@change-llc.com or reach out via our website: www.change-llc.com – we’d love to hear from you!