Chicago, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Chicago’s emerging Black Leaders and their allies have come together to launch the Justice & Equity Fellowship: the vision of Christian and Chakena Perry, co-founders of Black Millennial Renaissance (BMR). Founded in 2020, Black Millennial Renaissance is a network of Black millennials and their allies dedicated to ending systemic racism.
The Justice and Equity Fellowship will offer hands-on training and a paid internship to a cohort of young people between the ages of 16 and 23. Each fellow will be paired with a government entity, nonprofit organization, business, or educational institution within the BMR network. Fellows will also develop a capstone project on their topic of choice. Fellows will then work with the BMR team to explore opportunities to serve on youth advisory councils across the State of Illinois. The husband-and-wife duo designed the Fellowship as an opportunity to train the region’s next generation of community organizers and policy advocates committed to equity for all.
Last summer, Black Millennial Renaissance led the Right to Breathe March and Rally in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and others. With more than 500 people in attendance, it was the largest demonstration in Southwestern Cook County last year. The inspiring turnout reinforced the collective call for justice and accountability, while also laying the foundation for the Justice and Equity Fellowship to provide young people with the tools to tackle injustice within our institutions.
“After last summer’s civil unrest, my wife Chakena and I felt a deeper sense of urgency to continue our work to empower and train our area’s world changers and leaders,” said Christian Perry, co-founder of Black Millennial Renaissance. “The Justice and Equity Fellowship provides young people a paid opportunity to participate in a program built with them in mind – to use their voices and skills to create a more inclusive and equitable world for today and beyond.”
“The Justice and Equity Fellowship is a safe space for young people to use and leverage their lived experiences for positive and long-term change,” said Chakena Perry, co-founder of Black Millennial Renaissance. “Empowering youth is core to my work and vital for Chicago and the world if we want to see economic, educational, and social change.”
Black Millennial Renaissance is proud to announce the inaugural group of change agents that will lead the organization in the pursuit of justice.
Christian Perry (founder), Chakena Perry (founder), Bushra Amiwala, Michelle Jenkins, Brandon McGhee, Vaughn Roland, Jourdan Sorrell, Issac Troncoso, and Rachel Ward.
Applications are open until June 4th to Chicago and Cook County residents ages 16 to 23. For more information on the Justice and Equity Fellowship, visit www.blackmillennialrenaissance.com.
Black Millennial Renaissance is a network of Black Millennials and their allies fighting to end systemic racism. Our mission answers the call of the Black Lives Matter Movement to organize, educate, and empower society to heal the wounds of slavery and the decades of discrimination and oppression that have followed.
