When we talk about racial justice organizing, I think we often imagine this work happening in major urban centers with storied movement histories, like Chicago, Oakland, and Jackson, Mississippi. But as cities have changed over the last two decades due to gentrification and shifting job markets, suburbs are now the most diverse areas in the U.S.

So, what does racial justice organizing look like in these communities? In this episode, host Jordan Thierry interviews Siobhana McEwen from the Southwest Washington Equity Coalition, who speaks to that very point. She talks about how her organization grew during the 2020 uprising, addressing a sharp need for advocacy and policy change to address the needs of people of color and immigrants in this stretch of the Portland metro region.

We deep-dive into grassroots activism, the challenges of nonprofit leadership, and the power of community trust and collaboration.

If you’re inspired by Siobhana and found this episode helpful, you can show your appreciation by making a donation to her organization at https://southwest-washington-equity-coalition.monkeypod.io/give/support-southwest-washington-equity-coalition

This episode was produced by Jordan Thierry of Dream Chase Media, with essential production and marketing expertise from Aranza Garcia and Issac Gsoria.

For more episode content, grant and fellowship opportunities, and our book club chat room, visit https://howtobuildanonprofit.org

Travel can be more than indulging in plain wanderlust. It can open your eyes to a foreign reality, to see yourself in a different light, and to recognize place-based social constructs that may have been unknowingly influencing your thoughts and beliefs.

For Bianca Nelson, it’s these travel effects that she wants to improve the lives of Baltimore youth. And it’s why she founded her organization, Learning to Live Movement, in 2015, which provides youth of color with leadership development, cultural education, and opportunities to travel to destinations such as Brazil, Jamaica, Belize, and more.

If you’re inspired by Bianca and found this episode helpful, you can show your appreciation by making a donation to her organization at https://www.learningtolivemovement.com/donate

This episode was produced by Jordan Thierry of Dream Chase Media, with essential production and marketing expertise from Aranza Garcia and Issac Gsoria.

You can follow How to Build a Nonprofit on Instagram, TikTok, and Substack. Sign up for our free newsletter at https://howtobuildanonprofit.substack.com/.

Rachel Johnson-Farias has dedicated her legal career to making the law more accessible to low-income people and communities of color. Rachel graduated with honors from Occidental College and obtained a B.A. in Critical Theory and Social Justice. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor degree from U.C. Berkeley, School of Law.

But after finishing her law degree, she encountered major roadblocks at the final steps towards realizing her dream. And it was through these hardships that the idea for her organization was born. Esq. Apprentice is a non-profit that helps nontraditional law students of color become licensed attorneys.

In our interview, she speaks candidly about how the do-everything-for-everyone mindset can quickly lead to burnout, how to build sustainable practices as a leader, and why she believes her organization can help upend systemic injustice.

Esq. Apprentice seeks to change access to the legal profession in California and, eventually, the nation.

If you’re inspired by Rachel and found this episode helpful, you can show your appreciation by making a donation to her organization at https://esqapprentice.org/donate-

This episode was produced by Jordan Thierry of Dream Chase Media, with essential production and marketing expertise from Aranza Garcia and Issac Gsoria.

You can follow How to Build a Nonprofit on Instagram, TikTok, and Substack. Sign up for our free newsletter at https://howtobuildanonprofit.substack.com/.