I'm ready. Are you?
The Community Core open call closes this Friday. This is your sign to apply!
Hey Y’all,
No recording this time; I’m coming down with something, but wanted to get this message out to you.
The Community Core Open Call ends this Friday, Jan 16. If you’re sitting on the fence, leave me a comment with your questions. If you’re thinking “maybe I should apply...” you’re absolutely right.
Last month, I walked through what the Community Core will do and what success looks like during our December People’s Assembly. If you missed it, catch the replay.
The Community Core is an opportunity to:
Shape our upcoming offerings, like the Patron and Storytellers’ Circles, so that they’re grounded and resonant
Put You Had Me at Black’s values to work
Study cooperative organizing and building
Practice shared decision-making before we grow into formal governance
Get to know other members of the YHMAB community
The Commitment looks like:
Who: 5–10 community members
How long: 12 months
How often: Every 4–6 weeks for 60–90 minutes
When: Time/day determined by the group
Time investment: ~5 hours per month
I am excited for what this program will do and lead to. I’m also, honestly, a little nervous! But I believe in our future - the one I laid out in our June 2025 People’s Assembly and Notes on Our Rebuild Series. I believe we can build a home for our stories, our storytelling, and ourselves.
I believe we can honor Black personhood, embrace rebellion as a tactic, and move with love and solidarity in how we show up for each other.
I believe we can nurture everyday Black folks from all over into confident storytellers.
I believe we can produce soul-stirring and beautiful media, publishing, and experiences.
I believe our communities will show up and support this work as audiences, patrons, and customers.
I believe this can be an ecosystem where the abundance flows back to those storytellers.
I believe we can build models that honor who we are as an ever-expansive people.
I believe we can cooperate and collaborate.
I believe we can put our values into practice—to live them in how we organize and create together.
And I believe the time we are in calls for it, demands it.
I am ready. And if you’re ready, I invite you to join me.
Peace,
Martina