Beyond the auditory realm of the BlackFor30 podcast stems the newsletter ‘the.Conscious Collective’, designed to delve deeper into social, economic, and political issues impacting the black community, offering a fresh exploration through a different medium.

In the intricate tapestry of our narrative, the.Conscious Collective emerges as a distinct thread, weaving together the diverse experiences of the black community. The ‘Collective’ embraces our shared experiences while cherishing the richness in our distinctive identities. This is not a dictate on what it means to be black, for each of us lives through it uniquely. Rather, it is a call for a collective effort to understand our struggles and empower ourselves to be self-determined and self-authoring. By us, for us!

The ‘Conscious’ holds a dual significance. Firstly, it reflects the psychological slumber affecting our community, subduing our will and courage to empower ourselves. Secondly, this newsletter strives to be a deliberate catalyst promoting black consciousness and fostering an Afro-centric perspective, transcending mere intellectual understanding to embrace a moral duty to our continent and culture. It’s a call for radical action, demanding what is rightfully ours — from society and more importantly from ourselves.

What will the.Conscious Collective commit to?

At its core this platform serves a multi-faceted purpose:

• Amplifying the voices and narratives of the black community, providing a space for our stories to be told without misrepresentation

• As a potent tool the newsletter raises awareness about the socio-political and socio-economic issues affecting the global black community, fostering a collective understanding of our shared struggles

What is the inspiration behind this initiative?

This initiative is rooted in the sacrifices of past generations — those who fought for liberation across Africa, the Civil Rights movement, the Haitian revolution, and various movements to free black people. Today, we benefit from their sacrifices which paved the way for us to enjoy the rights and sovereignty deserving of black people. Yet, in truth we accept that to mean shared access to public amenities, reliance in quotas for equal job and education opportunities, government co-opting of our issues, corporate tokenism to pacify black consumers, false patriots in leadership roles supporting imperialist systems, and over-policing in our neighbourhoods. So, we find ourselves in a state of marginal contentment as we hold low expectations of what we deserve.

This initiative challenges us to move beyond acceptance and bring about radical change, a reclaiming of agency in defining our narrative. It’s a call to stop viewing the external factors of our circumstances as deterministic, as they only provide historical and present-day context.

Who is this for?

the.Conscious Collective extends its embrace to the global black community, whether you identify as African, black American, African diaspora, youth, thought leaders, activists, or those eager to reconnect with their heritage. It beckons not just to the black audience but also to those seeking a deeper understanding of black culture and a commitment to being agents of change.

What will the.Conscious Collective offer you?

Our goal is not just to critically examine the problems but to become agents of solutions. Together, let’s redefine our narrative and chart a course toward a future authored by us, for us. By joining the.Conscious Collective, readers embark on a journey that promises:

• A comprehensive understanding of black culture: Stay tuned for an exploration of history, language and consciousness. The newsletter offers fortnightly content that challenges and redefines prevailing narratives through our perspective

• Revolutionary knowledge: A knowledge project aiming not just to reform but to revolutionise how we interact with societal structures by sharing mental models that empower self-authoring and self-determinacy

• Authentic voices: In a landscape saturated with external and distorted narratives, this content is created by the community for the community — bringing together and amplifying ‘un-whitewashed’ views on issues that are important to our community

• An Afro-centric perspective: An approach centred around an Afro-centric perspective that reinforces the importance of an individual and shared identity, a shared history, and cultivates an internal sense of self-worth and acceptance unaffected by societal misconceptions, misrepresentation, and negative stereotypes

We cannot recognise what we need, until we truly understand what we deserve.

Welcome to the.Conscious Collective — a revolution of mindsets begins here!