Boston Ujima Project

On November 22, 2024, the Boston Ujima Project Inc. hosted the Ujima Fund 2024 Business & Investor Relations Build, alongside partners The Main Street Journal, BECMA Community Investments, and BII. The event focused on supporting BIPOC-owned businesses and democratic investing. We were proud to highlight businesses like Kidogo Productions, Jazz Urbane Cafe, Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust, and Just Book-ish, reinforcing our commitment to investing in community-led initiatives. A big thank you to Imagine Orchestra for the live music, Jazz Urbane Chef Chris Faison for the delicious food, Restaruant Fellow Biplaw Rai, and to all of our investors and community members for your continued support in shaping a more equitable economy. Special recognition to our amazing fund team: Ujima Fund Administrator JaNoah Daley, Business Alliance Associate Yusuf Alamutu, Fund Management Fellow Joshua Croom, and Executive Director Nia K. Evans for organizing the event. ???????? Together, we are building a more inclusive and sustainable economy, one investment at a time.

The Boston Ujima Project, Inc. proudly introduces the Ujima Collective Real Estate Fund, launching in 2025. This initiative aims to support housing development that reflects the needs and aspirations of our communities. The fund provides new opportunities for members and wider communities to learn, design, and collaborate on community investment tools. Participants are invited to join monthly hybrid meetings to focus on two key tracks: ? Real Estate Financing: Learn the basics of funding and managing real estate projects. ? Fund Design: Collaborate on co-creating the fund's structure, governance, and operations. This six-month commitment is a chance to help shape a community-led housing fund. Let's reimagine real estate for our communities! ?? Fill out the interest form: https://lnkd.in/eR46Tuvp

Two weeks ago, community members joined us for #BlackTrust: Black Utopias, Then & Now. We were honored to welcome Aaron Robertson, author of The Black Utopians, and Dr. Stacey Sutton, Associate Professor at UIC, for a powerful conversation on Black utopian visions and solidarity economies. Thank you to everyone who attended, to our speakers, and a special thank you to Just Book-ish for collaborating with us, and to photographer Blessing Nwogu for capturing these moments! ?? Relive the night and explore all the photos on our blog: www.ujimaboston.com/blog ?? Watch the full #BlackTrust video on our YouTube @ujimaboston

In this month's Ujima Wire, Money Edition: Having Money Isn't Everything, Not Having It Is, we feature a 2022 essay written by our Director of Communications, Culture, and Enfranchisement, Cierra Peters. The essay explores how our ideas of money, class, and capitalism are expressed—and consumed—through our favorite Black sitcoms. From Girlfriends and Moesha to black-ish and Insecure, these shows highlight the complexities of class mobility, the tension between authenticity and respectability, and how Black communities navigate financial challenges. Black sitcoms do more than entertain—they reflect the complexities of class, culture, and identity within Black communities. Whether through the humor of Living Single or the lessons of black-ish, these shows expose the intersections of race and wealth, revealing that while money isn't everything, its absence profoundly shapes lives. They remind us that beyond the laughs, these shows offer a deeper look at the ongoing struggles and triumphs of Black life as it relates to class and identity. ?? Read more at www.ujimaboston.com/blog

Just Bookish Grand Opening Tomorrow, justBook-ish, a newly launched bookstore in Fields Corner, celebrated its grand opening. The day began with an 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the start of a new community hub dedicated to fostering literacy, relationships, and radical storytelling. Funded through crowdraising and community investment—including support from local funds—the bookstore features a curated selection of books and events aimed at challenging political paradigms. justBook-ish aims to become a cornerstone for meaningful dialogue and community connection in the neighborhood. ??? November 23 | 11 am - Closing ??1463 Dorchester Avenue

?? Join the Campaign Design Team! We're excited to invite you to be part of our 8-month Resourcing Campaign Design Team for the upcoming Endowment Campaign, launching in 2025! This team will play a key role in shaping the campaign's goals, strategies, events, and overall vision, ensuring it embodies collectivity and self-determination while laying the foundation for long-term financial stability. Passionate about building a dynamic and participatory campaign? This is your chance to contribute your ideas, creativity, and energy to a transformative effort that prioritizes community-driven decision-making and shared vision. Join us in shaping a bold future of independence and solidarity! ?? Apply: https://lnkd.in/dWcFgKiW

This week, Boston Ujima Project Inc. joined WGBH for an important conversation. Executive Director Nia Evans, along with Colette Phillips and George Greenidge, Jr., spoke with Andre Stark from the Bay State Banner to reflect on the recent U.S. presidential election results and share their vision for advancing economic justice in our communities. ?? Stay tuned to hear what these Boston community leaders envision for the future in this fight for economic justice.

Have you ever attended a function and got laughed at for not knowing how to play Spades? Have you ever felt left out because you didn't know how to play spades and everyone just assumed you should know? Perhaps you know how to play and just forgot? Join us for our next #UjimaWednesdays, How to Play Spades. Ujima staff will guide a workshop on Spades basics, followed by a chance to play and practice with other participants! ?? Wednesday, 12/4 at 6 PM ET ?? Nubian Markets | 2565 Washington Street Roxbury, MA 02119 ?? Register at ujimaboston.com/events

How can we redefine labor as a collective act of liberation and empowerment? In this NPQ webinar, Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard challenges us to see work not as a means of exploitation but as the human energy we expend to build better lives and stronger communities. She highlights the hidden and undervalued labor of Black women, the transformative power of solidarity economics, and the need to reimagine labor as a path toward human perfectibility and freedom from oppressive systems. By reclaiming our labor as a collective and creative force, we can envision a future beyond capitalism—one rooted in shared purpose, innovation, and community. Join us tonight for Land, Labor, Legacy with Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard and Dr. Assata Richards. Together, we'll explore how Black utopian experiments have reimagined labor, land, and community as tools for liberation and shared prosperity. ?? Tonight, 6 PM EST | Virtual ?? Register at www.ujimaboston.com/events ?? Listen at https://lnkd.in/ek-A8hvn

In this Ujima WIRE, author and curator Chenoa Baker imagines the possibilities of cultural liberation through the lens of a young Black girl in her short fiction piece, Glyphs. Cheona explores the journey of a young Black girl discovering cultural liberation through art and resistance. The story highlights themes of self-determination, identity, and creative expression. Baker illustrates how art becomes a tool for empowerment and a pathway to imagining new possibilities. As Chenoa writes, "To quiet my brain, I'd self-liberate to the school's art studio during lunch; being surrounded by images soothed me." This theme of art as liberation resonates in the Elbow Grease Writers Guild, a workshop series dedicated to amplifying the voices of femme and nonbinary artists in the Boston area. ??? Session 2: November 20 at 7:15 PM ?? RSVP now: www.ujimaboston.com/events ??Read full blog at www.ujimaboston.com/blog Bring your creativity and be part of a collaborative journey toward amplifying marginalized voices!