What Do We Mean: By and For
Introduction
Baobab is a pro-black, people driven movement, created by and for grassroots communities who are challenging racial injustice. We want to help shape a wider resourcing environment that centres disability justice and intersectionality.
For us, By and For is essential to address the web of systems of oppression, that include capitalism, imperialism, homophobia, ableism, xenophobia, anti-blackness, Islamophobia, sexism and racism.Taking this intersectional approach allows us to call out and address oppression in all its forms.
What this means for us
Our By and For approach means that we are committed to work in a way that is:
By us: We are led by the Global Majority communities we serve, and act collectively from a place of interconnectedness and solidarity, not uniformity
From us: We want to reverse the existing power relationship between funders and our communities, moving from an anti black to pro black position
With us: We work collectively with all Global Majority communities and recognise the ways in which discrimination based on gender, class, sexual orientation, disability, immigration status and religion, among others, work together to increase injustice.
For us: We will only resource work that seeks to achieve justice, unity and freedom for Global Majority people.
What this means for the groups and people we support
Our By and For approach means that we will only resource work that is:
By us: Representation. 75% of staff, decision makers, senior management are Black African/Caribbean individuals and/or Global majority people of colour.
By us: Self-led. People with direct lived experience of the issues they aim to address are key decision makers and steer the direction of the work.
For us: Services. 75% of the people being supported by the work are Black African/Caribbean individuals and/or Global majority people of colour.
For us: Purpose. The aims and collective practices specifically address racial justice, disability justice, gender justice and oppressive systems.
We want to build a community of members, solidarity partners and radical friends to work collectively to dismantle structural inequality.