ATTEND/EVENTS

Upcoming Events

Featured Workshops

#UjimaWednesdays

We hold member meetings that are open to the public, dedicated to financial and political education, and our member working groups. Watch all past events on our Youtube.

Every week on Wednesday, starting at 6:00PM EST.

Note: Our Ujima Wednesdays workshops will take place at the Urban Farming Institute from April 17th to May 29th.

Stories of Fugitivity

Kazi Toure

Hybrid

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

6:00 PM

RSVP

“Fugitivity… is a desire for and a spirit of escape and transgression of the proper and the proposed. It’s a desire for the outside, for a playing or being outside, an outlaw edge proper to the now always already improper voice or instrument.”–Fred Moten In current discourse, a growing body of narratives has emerged concerning fugitivity and marronage: the actions, organizing, and placemaking we undertake from the shadows, margins, and crevices to free ourselves. Such work is a reclamation of self for Black people and Black communities outside of nation-states that deny us agency. These narratives frequently refer to escape from racial violence pre-emancipation: scholars and cultural critics frame these concepts in the past tense. Yet there is a present and ongoing legacy of fugitive practices within education, cooperative infrastructures, migration, and abolition. In this series of workshops, we will explore the concept of fugitivity and its intricate relationship with Blackness, liberation, and economic justice. From independent Black placemaking (marronage) and Black self-sustaining communities (maroons), to political prisoner movements, to poetics and planning, we hope to gain insight into recent historical events and current practices of fugitivity and marronage. We will focus on sites of transformation, mobility, and possibility, and we will examine these practices through the lens of fugitivity–a tool for envisioning and creating new worlds from “the outside”. “I have believed in my convictions and have been convicted for my beliefs, conned by the constitution, beat up and harassed by the police.”–Kazi Toure Kazi Ajagun Toure, a former Black Panther and past political prisoner incarcerated for liberatory work, will speak with our membership in the third workshop of this series. We will have an engaging discussion to explore the under-told stories of those who dared to defy injustice, and we hope to gain insights into the complexities of fugitivity and the enduring pursuit of liberation. Kazi’s work with the United Freedom Front–an armed clandestine unit that carried out several actions against U.S. imperialism in El Salvador, Puerto Rico, So. Afrika, and right here in Boston–inspires and shapes our imaginations of what is possible through principled practice. Join us to hear Kazi share his experiences of underground resistance and political struggle, at home and abroad, and to think about avenues for future struggle against state apparatuses and repressive regimes.

Poetic Narratives of Black Fugitivity

Fred Moten

Hybrid

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

6:00 PM

RSVP

“Fugitivity… is a desire for and a spirit of escape and transgression of the proper and the proposed. It’s a desire for the outside, for a playing or being outside, an outlaw edge proper to the now always already improper voice or instrument.”–Fred Moten In current discourse, a growing body of narratives has emerged concerning fugitivity and marronage: the actions, organizing, and placemaking we undertake from the shadows, margins, and crevices to free ourselves. Such work is a reclamation of self for Black people and Black communities outside of nation-states that deny us agency. These narratives frequently refer to escape from racial violence pre-emancipation: scholars and cultural critics frame these concepts in the past tense. Yet there is a present and ongoing legacy of fugitive practices within education, cooperative infrastructures, migration, and abolition. In this month's series of workshops, we will explore the concept of fugitivity and its intricate relationship with Blackness, liberation, and economic justice. From independent Black placemaking (marronage) and Black self-sustaining communities (maroons), to political prisoner movements, to poetics and planning, we hope to gain insight into recent historical events and current practices of fugitivity and marronage. We will focus on sites of transformation, mobility, and possibility, and we will examine these practices through the lens of fugitivity–a tool for envisioning and creating new worlds from “the outside”. Join us in conversation with Fred Moten, Black theorist and author of The Undercommons: Fugitive Planning and Black Study. Moten’s writing towards refusal and escape guides our discussion on the genealogy of fugitivity by way of musical and literary investigation.

Mattapan Neighborhood Assembly

Boston Ujima Project

In Person

Friday, April 26, 2024

4:00 PM

RSVP

Calling all Mattapan residents: Mattapan residents are invited to share your experience, voice, and ideas at our Mattapan Neighborhood Assembly on April 26-28, 2024! This assembly is an opportunity for us to collectively decide on the allocation of Ujima Fund's investment dollars in 2024 and steer the development of our beloved Mattapan communities.

Loving Men Film Screening

Sam Ellison, Ukumbwa Sauti, Geo Costomiris, James Vamboi, and Lawrence Barriner II

In Person

Sunday, April 28, 2024

12:00 PM

RSVP

Join us for an evening of food, fellowship, and the powerful screening of "Loving Men". Dive into the making of this impactful film as we embark on a journey together. Engage in thought-provoking discussions led by Sam Ellison, Ukumbwa, Geo, James, and Lawrence. As part of the Boston Ujima Project’s April 2023 Assembly All About Love, we created a film documenting a circle of masculine community members dedicated to their socioemotional growth, building collective infrastructure, challenging patriarchy, and advocating for a society that embraces all genders. The film highlights men of diverse backgrounds who are pioneering community-led care models, challenging sexism and patriarchy, while inspiring systemic inclusivity, loving fellowship, and community repair in Boston and beyond.

Member Teams

Stepping Into the Unknown: An Abolitionist Future

Hybrid

April 3, 2024

7:15 PM

RSVP

Drawing from the writings of Black abolitionists, Akwaeke Emezi and Mariame Kaba, we will create and dream expansive afro-futures. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on the limitations of their political imagination and move past ideas of perfectionism, punishment, and individualism. Our guiding question is how do we make sure that we survive when the world we live in is uninhabitable? Through creative activities like creating tea blends, art-making, and storytelling, we will construct another world with the guidance of our inner child.

Resource Member Team

Hybrid

April 3, 2024

7:15 PM

RSVP

The Resource member team collaborates with values-aligned partners dedicated to providing unrestricted multi-year support and/or engaging in recurring giving practices. Additionally, the team plays a key role in cultivating resources to sustain the long-term operating costs of the Boston Ujima Project. Note: The Resource member team usually meets every first Wednesday at 7:15 PM at our #UjimaWednesdays: Political & Financial Education Workshops. Due to our office break it will be meeting the third week in March.

Coalitions, Policy & Grassroots Organizing

Hybrid

April 10, 2024

7:15 PM

RSVP

The Coalitions, Policy & Grassroots Organizing (CPGO) member team is a collaborative initiative committed to actively participating in existing coalitions, prioritizing issues such as community safety, economic and environmental justice, and adopting a multigenerational approach. Open to various matters brought forth by coalition members, the team serves as a bridge for collaboration within the coalition pillar, emphasizing principles rooted in community and liberation. The policy pillar supports ongoing policy efforts aligned with the mission, membership, and community base, while the grassroots pillar strives to build political alignment within our organizations and communities.

Anchor Institution Organizing Member Team

Hybrid

April 17, 2024

7:15 PM

RSVP

The Anchor Institution team consists of Ujima members and solidarity members with the primary objective of supporting the Ujima ecosystem by organizing institutions in Greater Boston, focusing on universities, hospitals, and faith-based organizations, to actively support Ujima’s mission. Key strategies include focusing on procurement, involving purchases from Ujima Good Business Alliance members' businesses; and engagement in values-aligned campaigns through Ujima’s grassroots partners, such as the PILOT Action Group.

Stepping Into the Unknown: An Abolitionist Future

Hybrid

May 1, 2024

7:15 PM

RSVP

Community Events

Our events page is updated once a month, along with the #EventEdition of the Ujima Newsletter on the first Thursday of the month.

If you have an event that you'd like to add to Ujima's calendar, please send us the information to add to the calendar via this form.

Boston Comics in Color Festival

April 20, 2024

The Boston Comics in Color Festival (BCICF) is a family-friendly event for all ages focusing on creators of color and stories by and about people of color. This event will take place in person on April 20, 2024 from 10am to 5pm at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center on the campus of Roxbury Community College. A first-of-its-kind-event on the Boston scene, BCICF includes an event headliner, special guest speakers, panel discussions with working artist and writers, workshops, and live art demos, as well as an artist alley for comic creators to share and sell their books, materials, artwork. FREE to enter!

RSVP

HEART Annual Spring Fundraiser

April 25, 2024

Turn up the heat for HEART at our annual virtual fundraiser on Thursday, April 25th from 7-8:30pm!

Cambridge Holistic Emergency Alternative Response Team (Cambridge HEART) is a community-led proactive public safety program that aims to address the immediate needs of people in conflict or crisis (at the moment of crisis). Don’t miss this celebratory event and hear us speak from the heart about what it has meant to us to build a critical alternative to calling the cops when our neighbors are in need.

Join us in community to practice care, healing, transformative accountability, self-determination and contribute to our collective vision of a world free of carceral systems.

RSVP

Let’s Dance: Popular Caribbean Dances

April 26, 2024

Discover some of the Caribbean’s most popular dance forms in these fun introductory sessions led by internationally renowned dance and music company, Masacote Entertainment. Each drop-in session will be led by an experienced dance coach and focus on a different genre, including merengue, rumba, bachata, and salsa. All experience and ability levels welcomed! Dance partner not required. Comfortable shoes are recommended.

RSVP

Power Up: Self-Defense & Emotional Resilience Workshop

April 27, 2024

Join for an exciting and empowering event at Codman Academy CPS - The Black Box Theatre! This in-person workshop is designed to help you develop essential self-defense skills and boost your emotional resilience. Learn to protect yourself physically and mentally in a supportive and engaging environment. Our expert instructors will guide you through various techniques and strategies, equipping you with the tools to navigate challenging situations with confidence. Don't miss this opportunity to power up and unlock your inner strength. Register now and get ready to level up!

RSVP

ICA Women’s Luncheon

April 29, 2024

In her last Women’s Luncheon as Ellen Matilda Poss Director, Jill Medvedow will be joined by dear friends, Frieda Garcia and Anne Hawley, to discuss art and civic life and women’s ambition, achievement, and leadership.

This is a gender-inclusive event. All are welcome.

RSVP

Sharing Black Latine Stories

April 30, 2024

Black Latine stories are often overlooked due to the racial binary under which we live and the misunderstanding of just how many people of African descent could also be identified as Latine. Join us for a conversation with Boston AfroLatine leaders who will share their experiences, and we'll celebrate the release of "The Afro-Latino Memoir" by Trent Masiki.

RSVP

Plant Identification Workshop - Herbal Alchemy

May 11, 2024

Jump into the fascinating world of plants as you learn to classify them through presentations and insightful videos.

Immerse yourself in a hands-on experience where we'll grind up various plants to make your own unique spice blends together.

As a special takeaway each participant will receive their own plant along with detailed instructions to keep it alive.

RSVP

"Read N' Do" Fashion Show with Kidogo & Looking Lens

June 8, 2024

Are you ready to design and/or walk the runway? Or maybe you just want to enjoy the show! Join Kidogo Productions and Looking Lens at the Black Market Nubian for a Fashion Show!

RSVP

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