Black Organizing Summer School

Action St. Louis is committed to training new bold leadership that will continue to build power in our communities and win campaigns that will transform our lives. With this in mind, Action St. Louis created the Black Organizing Summer School (BOSS) in 2019.  

In the nearly 10 years since the Ferguson Uprising, and several uprisings across the country, grassroots organizations have been responsible for policy wins including the passage of the Civilian Oversight Board in St. Louis City, increasing the state’s minimum wage, and legalizing marijuana in Missouri. Organizations have also been central to the victories of progressive elected officials who are working to reform systems such as cash bail, policing in St. Louis, and the creation of a reparations task force. As seasoned organizers move on to leadership roles, there’s a lack of incoming organizers to take their place.

We believe developing a local organizing infrastructure that encompasses organizing, strategic communications, movement building, and policy advocacy is essential to build a new class of powerful organizers.

Goals of the BOSS

• To deepen participants knowledge of political organizing fundamentals and opportunities to apply training to current local campaigns; 

• To sharpen participants political analysis around race, class and gender grounded in local history and movement building; 

• To provide local grassroots organizations additional staff capacity, while giving current staff opportunities to sharpen training and facilitation skills; and,

• To foster and deepen relationships between participants and develop opportunities for mentorship with the existing class of Black organizers in St. Louis.

Each fellow earns a stipend of $4,6800 to be engaged in a full-time, 8-week program that focuses on the fundamental tenets of community organizing.

Program elements:

• Organizing Training: Fellows will spend the first two weeks of the program in training. The curriculum for organizing training is developed by Action St. Louis, in partnership with the Movement for Black Lives and Advancement Project. 

• Full Work Day: Fellows will spend the last six weeks of the program in hands-on work with a partner organization, where they will apply the organizing training to current local campaigns. Past work projects include: registering voters, collecting signatures for ballot initiatives, canvassing, having one-on-one meetings and shadowing experienced organizers in the field. 

• Boss Up Fridays: Participants spend every Friday in deep political education with experienced community and policy leaders, on cultural trips to deepen their understanding of local context and history, or work on one organization’s campaign collaboratively.