*Moms of Black Boys United, Inc. (M.O.B.B. United), a community and sisterhood of nearly 200,000 moms with 15 local chapters nationwide advocating for fair and just treatment of Black boys and men in American society, has been recognized by Facebook for its efforts to affect positive change. After participating in the 2020 Facebook Community Accelerator program aimed at arming participants with training, mentorship and funding to grow their communities, MOBB United has been awarded an additional $25,000 grant by the tech company to help further its mission.
As announced by Facebook in a blog post, MOBB United is one of 77 organizations to participate in the 2020 Facebook Community Accelerator, a six-month program to equip impactful communities with the skills and funding to grow. The program concluded this month with virtual presentations occurring across six regions, where participants had a chance to share their progress and celebrate milestones over the past six months. The Facebook Community Accelerator is part of the company’s Community Leadership Program, a global initiative that invests in leaders who are building communities worldwide.
Click here to read the entire Facebook announcement.
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Evaluated on “execution capabilities, clear vision of next steps, and impact of how MOBB United will use the additional funding,” the 4-year-old organization — founded by former media executive Depelsha McGruder as a response to a string of high-profile police killings of unarmed Black men — was selected by a panel of judges and program participants. As an awardee of this additional Community Accelerator funding, MOBB United joins other like-minded local community advocates that support a wide range of people and causes.
“MOBB United started as a Facebook group that went viral and has grown to be two national nonprofit organizations working to influence policies and perceptions that impact treatment of Black males,” said McGruder, who also serves as President. “It means a lot to receive this recognition from the platform where it all began. I am grateful to Facebook and to the strong community of moms on our Leadership Team who have enabled us to build and thrive. Our work is far from done, but we are on our way.”
In its announcement, Facebook also noted a goal of the program as a catalyst to creating “new connections between the community leaders and their constituencies to work together to do even more good.”
“We were thrilled to be selected as one of the organizations to participate in the Community Accelerator program in July with an initial grant of $30,000,” said Vanessa McCullers, MOBB United Executive Director. “This additional funding will allow us to continue growing our community and executing initiatives that offer critical support during these difficult times. Our national calls, webinars and seminars educate moms on topics ranging from autism and mental health awareness, how the criminal justice system works and the preschool-to-prison pipeline, to instructing sons on how to interact with law enforcement, and recognizing bullying and discrimination in schools or extracurricular activities.”
“Self care initiatives such as Wellness Wednesdays and MOBB United In Prayer help support moms,” McCullers added, “while image campaigns like SONStories provide a platform for young Black men to shed light on racial disparities from their perspective. Through spoken word, poetry, rap, music, and other artforms, we are giving our sons the chance to be heard in their own words.”
MOBBÂ United provides information and support for moms of Black sons while promoting positive images of Black boys and men. The organization’s goal is to influence policy impacting how Black boys and men are treated by law enforcement and society.
For more information on M.O.B.B. United, to donate or volunteer, please visit mobbunited.org.
source: Tosha Whitten Griggs — Moms of Black Boys United / [email protected]
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