nex·us | \ ˈnek-səs .::. a connection or series of connections linking two or more things: the connection between campus and community scholars to build Black political power.
In partnership with Black Lives Matter Grassroots, the neXus Project is a collaborative political education effort for Black lives that aims to recover histories, report insights, and reimagine a commitment to public teaching at the grassroots level. Just as a nexus represents a connection or link, this project will undertake the relational work of connecting community and campus scholars in the production of invited essays, lectures, dialogues, and other digital media content accessible and free to the public.
In addition, we will soon be accepting pitches for original work from artists, writers, and scholars new to our network. We will be offering neXus Project Grants to compensate contributors for the intellectual and creative labor involved in supporting the program. If you are interested in contributing to this effort, please complete the neXus Project interest form.
Benjamin Fletcher was a revolutionary Black worker, public orator, and militant labor organizer with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). In April 1890, he was born to African American parents who migrated to Philadelphia, PA, from post-Reconstruction era Virginia.
Read MoreGladys Bentley was a blues singer, pianist, and entertainer during the Harlem Renaissance. Bentley’s recording career lasted over 20 years. Born in Philadelphia, PA in 1907, Bentley ran away to New York City at age 16.
Read MoreLabor Day is much more than just a day to mark the “end of summer” with family gatherings and blockbuster sales. It’s supposed to be a time to commemorate the important contributions of workers to U.S. history. This is especially true when thinking about the role of Black labor in the long Black liberation struggle.
Read MoreFirst recognized as an official holiday by the state of Texas in 1979, the commemoration of General Gordon Grainger’s arrival in Galveston to enforce the emancipation of enslaved peoples has recently gained greater national attention. But what does Juneteenth teach us about today’s ongoing struggle for freedom and liberation?
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