2026 Quarter 1

We Showed Up And We’re Just Getting Started

Chanceé Lundy, Executive Director

The first quarter is behind us, and we’ve moved full speed into the second. Time is a fast moving train; but, all trains have to slow down before reaching the next destination. We spend so much energy setting goals that we rarely pause to honor what we’ve actually built. So right now, at this moment, that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

For Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium, the first quarter of 2026 was defined by three things: resilience, investment, and – as always – joy. We started with an in-person Anchor retreat to ensure we are on track with the vision and to discuss organizational infrastructure. This led to a staff retreat where instead of focusing just on the work, we focused on professional development that would help us do this work better together. In the midst of that, we brought on a new team member, Angela Getter, to help us realize our fundraising goals.

We also showed up for our young people in meaningful ways, bringing our Youth Ambassadors together for an in-person leadership academy in Charlotte, NC, and launching a bi-weekly mental health program in partnership with Black Girls Smile for our youth leaders. Our ambassadors stepped onto a national stage, speaking at DJ Envy’s Black History event at the American Dream Mall, and we kicked off our monthly Soul SessionZ which is a space designed to nourish and connect our youth.

Our commitment to the community also meant deepening our investment in the organizations doing the work. We launched our Environment and Climate Justice Fund, Anchor Choice Awards, and completed our first Black Girl Joy Challenge cycle of the year. All designed to channel resources toward specific, often underfunded work that is quietly changing lives and communities.

We also made sure our voice was heard beyond our immediate circles. We shared our story on The Breakfast Club, one of the nation’s most listened-to radio platforms as well as the Karen Hunter show on Sirius XM radio. We also took that story to the halls of power – advocating on Capitol Hill alongside CARE (taking our youth ambassadors with us) on issues impacting Black women across the diaspora, spoke at the Black Women’s Roundtable – Women of Power summit about bringing Black women together in the diaspora to tackle issues in solidarity. Furthermore, we joined Congressman Vindman of Virginia for a Black Maternal Health roundtable because we believe that policy and community must move together.

And because being in community is at the heart of everything we do, we gathered – in Louisville, KY for a listening session with women who lead organizations, at our quarterly State Networking meeting, at the Geaux Girl Giving Collective in New Orleans, and at the International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute’s Board Retreat and Key Influencers meeting in Bridgetown, Barbados. Wherever Black women and girls are leading we are going to be right beside them.

As we look ahead, we are in the early stages of our multi-state Joy and Justice Tour. Recently, we received funding from the Kellogg Foundation to relaunch our Innovation Fund’s Dream Investment Program and we have funding on the horizon from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to focus specifically on Black women’s leadership. You’ll be hearing more about that.

We could not be more excited to be in community with you over the coming months. Watch for expanded funding opportunities, new convenings, and continued growth as we strengthen our infrastructure and deepen our impact.

While we are busy, this isn’t busy work. We are moving with intention, with purpose, and with impact.