Founded in 2017, Umoja Kijana Shujaa is a paid year-long leadership development cohort and program of Black & Beyond the Binary Collective. Umoja was created to further radicalize Black trans, queer, nonbinary, and intersex+ (TQNI+) youth 14-26 to combat white supremacy, criminalization, anti-blackness, and to advance Black liberation. Umoja youth will participate in responsive and collaborative community building throughout the summer and will walk away with a deep understanding of white supremacy, hands-on experience in community and civic engagement as well as community care practices to help to deal with the realities of moving throughout the world in a Black TQNI+ body.
Annually, Umoja youth organize Portland’s Night Out for Safety and Liberation event in partnership with the Ella Baker Center to answer the questions of “how do we build safety beyond policing” and “what are the alternatives to calling the police”?