JUNETEENTH: FREEDOM THAT ENCOMPASSES ALL
“ Remember, we are not fighting for the freedom of the Negro alone, but for the freedom of the human spirit, a larger freedom that encompasses all."
— Ella Baker
This Juneteenth, we're inviting you to celebrate freedom by investing in the future we are building together.
Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when enslaved Black people in Texas finally learned they were free — two full years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The abolition of slavery was won through courageous Black-led resistance and a fierce belief in a nation true to its founding promises: a democracy that encompasses all.
We know this to be true: the movement for racial justice underpins the foundations of our democracy. History has shown us time and time again that when the rights, representation, and political power of Black communities are weakened, the broader foundation of democracy weakens with it. The abolition movement, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Movement, and contemporary movements for racial justice have all expanded the meaning and practice of democracy in America. When Black people organize to move this country closer to its democratic ideals, everyone benefits from the expansion of freedom, participation, opportunity, and justice.
At the Black Collective Foundation MN, we work to build a freedom that encompasses all, not just in words, but through resources, relationships, and sustained investment in Black-led change and the broader racial justice ecosystem.
Just in the past year, the Black Collective Foundation MN has:
Invested $1.9 million in leaders, organizations, and initiatives working to advance social, political, and economic progress across Minnesota through a 100% participatory philanthropy approach
Established a $1.2 million endowment: a rare and strategic move toward building lasting institutional power
Engaged 1,000 nonprofit and philanthropic leaders via our MN Legal Education, Advocacy, and Defense Initiative to navigate legal challenges and advance racial justice
Whether you have been with us for years or are finding your way to this work for the first time, there is a place for you here.
The Black Collective Foundation MN is your foundation. It's a place to give, to build your philanthropic legacy, and to stand in solidarity with the movement for freedom and democracy during one of the most consequential moments of our time.
This is our moment to invest in the freedom we can build together. Give today in honor of Juneteenth.
In community,
Lulete Mola
President & Co-Founder
Black Collective Foundation MN
