The Maven Collaborative

This week Maven officially turned 2! We are continuing our work of visioning a future centered on abundance, joy and liberation for all by centering Black women who have always been the vanguards and caretakers of our society. What if we also became vanguards and caretakers for them? This would nourish us all.

We're late to the party but very excited to find out that The Maven Collaborative won Gold recognition for a 2024 Anthem Award for our publication, Work Requirements Are Trash. We are thrilled! Check the publication here: https://lnkd.in/gkPxXJcj

Just a reminder - WORK REQUIREMENTS ARE TRASH https://lnkd.in/gAf6-fan

Ever wonder how much income you needed to have your very basic needs met in CA? Check out our Family Sustainability Index. You can select which county you live in, how many kids and what ages they are and how many adults live in your household. The results may surprise you. For example, if you are a single parent with 1 preschool aged child and 1 infant living in Oakland, CA (Alameda County), you need to be making $174,677 to be able to afford a place to live, child care, food, transportation etc. Childcare costs alone are $4959 PER MONTH. That's more than housing which is $2575 per month. Check it out! https://lnkd.in/g99BH2Mz

"The current political climate has made it impossible to find a silver lining. We are not here to sell you a bridge. However, we must remember that this is not the first time marginalized communities have faced adversity. Black women have long been operating under similar circumstances, navigating systems designed against them since before the founding of this nation. The?NACW, founded in 1896 by Black women who were excluded from joining other feminist groups, became a powerful testament to collective strength. Their motto, "Lifting as We Climb," continues to resonate today — a powerful reminder of how marginalized communities have always found ways to support and elevate each other, even in the most challenging circumstances." Read our full newsletter and get you some hope and joy! https://lnkd.in/g8c_9Fi4

"The truth is hard to face: a majority of Americans chose contempt and the desire to control women, racism, scapegoating immigrants and white supremacy as a path forward in this election because they could not see themselves in a Black and brown woman, but they could in Trump...We center Black women at Maven because we know the ideas, imagination and commitment to community care they inherently hold will lift up all Americans. Nobody understands the soul of this country like Black women do. They face the belly of the beast and understand how to tame it so we all can live a healthier, more joyous life." Read our full newsletter to learn more of how we are thinking in this moment. https://lnkd.in/gQgA5t8r

Like many of you, I have been reflecting on the what's next. I have spent my time focused on the spaces of hope that will certainly guide us forward, through an unpredictable, but likely, difficult time. One of those places is the The Maven Collaborative. Maven is an RWJF Healthy Children and Families strategic partner. It is an organization that unapologetically centers Black women and their vision of how to make the U.S. a more economically just nation and a country where we are accountability to all our families. Using evidence, Maven Collaborative knows this is the very wisdom that will ensure our forward progress and has defied all odds in our history. My colleague Erissa Scalera reflects on the transformative narrative shift work that Maven is doing and their goals to help drive that towards long-term systemic shifts. For me, this also means honoring the ancestors and guides that surround me. Today marks a celebratory day as I join colleagues at the service awards of RWJF to celebrate our collective 10 year+ milestones. I know that path was made easier because of the labor and existence of the Black women who came before me, who were ever persistent in the face of resistance and worked to make my workplace one that was more just and anchored in wellbeing. #FacingRace #TrustBlackWomenLetUsLead

I was thrilled to attend the?National Fund for Workforce Solutions's #SHIFT2024?conference this past week. A huge thank you to?Amanda Cage, the exceptional CEO of the National Fund, and her remarkable team for organizing such an inspiring event. And to be in a city filled with incredible civil rights and music history! I was especially excited to join Amanda, Anne Elaine Price (The Maven Collaborative), and Todd Greene (WorkRise, Urban Institute) on the main stage opening plenary focused on advancing #equity in the workforce.?I discussed the significant challenges facing direct care and childcare workers and why workforce development leaders must prioritize them through policies like #skills training, #careerpathways, quality non-degree #credentials, and holistic supports. These measures are key to a sustainable future, especially for essential yet often overlooked care roles. It was also a joy to connect with so many thoughtful leaders, including my board member,?Alice Pritchard,?and my amazing team members?Megan Evans, Michael Richardson, and Caroline Treschitta. I also appreciated spending time with Mauricio Andres Garcia, Bishara Addison, Lauren N. King, Ph.D., Kermit Kaleba, Raj Borsellino, Marci (Fields) Hunn, Alejandro (Ale') Mendoza, and many others in this space. There's no question—we have the power to "shift" our workforce and economy toward real equity.

Our latest report, Living on the Brink: The True Cost of Being Californian is out! Thank you Felicia Mello from CalMatters for covering the vast amount of data available in this report. Our biggest finding has been how rising costs of childcare have made it a luxury to have children that only white families can afford. Read on to learn more! https://lnkd.in/gpzwfNjh