Black Thriving Index

RESEARCH STUDY | GRIMOIRE | FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

What is it?

A citywide dialogue & report revealing the multi-dimensional conditions for Black Thriving

An engaged network pursuing audacious dreams

A paradigm shift from scarcity to abundance

A call to activate collective agency

A collective liberation ritual

REFRAMING:

Moving away from a deficit mindset, we embrace the untapped capacity within Black communities. By fostering agency, abundance, and audacity, we pave the way for collective thriving.

Elements

  • Peer to Peer Research

    Research conducted by and for the community, accelerating trust and constructive information collection.

  • Generative vs Extractive:

    Prioritizing citizen vision over specific project-related questions, ensuring dreams and aspirations come to light.

  • Citywide & Year Long:

    A year-long dialogue at the speed of trust, allowing time to surface latent genius within communities.

BTI PHASES

  • PHASE 1: 50 1-on-1 Interviews

    [ONGOING] Identification & interview of thriving individuals showcasing AGENCY, ABUNDANCE, and AUDACITY.

    Culminates in a Field Guide to Black Thriving, to be released publicly along with archive index materials upon completion.

  • PHASE 2: BTI Fellowship Program

    Inaugural Cohort: 10 Intergenerational, Visionary Fellows with demonstrated leadership.

    Components:

    Interviews, Co-Authored Report, Black Thriving Curriculum, Capstone Project, Cross-Continental Collaboration, Salaries.

Who does it benefit?

  • CITY GOVERNMENTS

    BTI allows for expansive, citizen-led conversations, offering insights that short-term, government-led processes can't accommodate.

  • PHILANTHROPIES

    Direct feedback from groups served informs philanthropic priorities, redirecting funds to better support thriving communities.

  • NON PROFITS

    Insights into program benefits aid non-profits in concentrating limited resources where they matter most.

  • DEVELOPERS

    Detailed information on community aspirations ensures neighborhood developments enhance conditions for thriving.

  • CORPORATIONS

    BTI provides a citywide network of engaged citizens, offering insights into consumer desires and preferences.

  • CITIZENS

    A platform for amplifying and validating community aspirations, making them manifest.

“we cannot dream beyond our current conditions about things that we have not been exposed to.”

— Black Thriver

FAQs

  • The IAU defines Black Thriving as a multifaceted indicator of spiritual and emotional wellbeing in Black communities and individuals.

    While it cannot be explicitly quantified, Black Thrivers are identified as individuals who embody abundance, audacity and agency to their communities.

  • Questions asked will be based on defining parameters that make thriving possible. Our goal is to identify what helped participants to transcend their conditions.

  • We are still ideating the final form the Field Guide will take.

Next

The Dreamstead