Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the U.S. government has not done enough to support Black people–leaving too many of us in survival mode. There had already been a significant racial wealth gap in the U.S. before COVID-19, and the pandemic has exacerbated it.
BLM Foundation and BLM Grassroots designed the BLM Survival Fund to support Black people and their families who were facing economic hardship during the pandemic by giving them cash assistance to keep them in their homes, keep food on the table, and, ultimately, to provide a little breathing room in their lives.
Within the first 12 hours of launching the Survival Fund, we had distributed nearly $3 million of cash assistance to our communities. “This demand speaks to how severe the economic crisis still is for millions of Black people across the country and how more needs to be done. We call on corporations and foundations to help sustain the BLM Survival Fund so we can support more people affected by the pandemic,” stated Patrisse Cullors, co-founder and former executive director of BLM Foundation. The fund received over 9,000 applications, showing the urgency and depth of need our community is facing.
Since its launch, the BLM Survival Fund has met its goal of providing direct support to nearly 3,000 Black people and their families. In the words of the Black Panther Party, this work is about “survival pending revolution.”
We are honored to share stories from some of the grantees directly impacted by the Survival Fund. Deanna Joseph, Kusema Thomas, and Shafonia Logan share their deeply intimate stories of facing police brutality, systemic poverty, and anti-Blackness while raising their families and directly supporting their communities in this Survival Fund short film series.
Watch the stories of our BLM Survival Fund grantees here in our Media Center.
Community support and cooperative economics have been principles and survival tactics of Black communities for centuries. Perhaps the most famous example of this was the Black Panther Party’s free breakfast program in the 1960s and 1970s. We are proud to be part of the long legacy of Black organizations stepping in to support our communities when the government fails to do so adequately. The BLM Survival Fund is continuing this legacy and is an important step toward investing in Black life so we can all thrive.
While the Survival Fund is currently closed for applications, the enormous response has highlighted how severe the economic crisis still is for millions of Black people across the country, and how much more needs to be done. We call on corporations and foundations to allow us to meet the enormous demand and continue getting cash into the hands of those who need it most.
If your corporation or foundation would like to partner with us in this effort, get in touch by emailing us at [email protected]
See media coverage about The Survival Fund below:
BLM Launches Survival Fund Amid Federal COVID-19 Relief Wait
Black Lives Matter Is Sending More Stimulus Checks Than Joe Biden
Black Lives Matter Announces New Survival Fund Amidst the Wait for COVID-19 Relief
Black Lives Matter Launches Survival Fund As U.S. Awaits More Federal COVID-19 Relief
