Bannerman Sabbatical Fellowship for Activists of Color

Posted by on March 19, 2012

Center for Social Inclusion Invites Applications for the Alston Bannerman Sabbatical Fellowship for Activists of Color
Deadline: June 15, 2012

The Center for Social Inclusion is seeking applications for the Alston Bannerman Sabbatical Fellowship for longtime activists of color.

The program honors and supports individuals who have devoted their lives to helping their communities organize for racial, social, economic, and environmental justice by providing resources for them to take time out for reflection and renewal.

To qualify for a fellowship, an applicant must be a person of color; have more than ten years of community organizing experience; be committed to social change work in communities of color; and live in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Both paid and unpaid leaders are eligible to apply.

Beyond the basic eligibility criteria, the program seeks applicants whose work attacks root causes of inequity by organizing those affected to take collective strategic action; challenges the systems that perpetrate injustice and effects institutional and structural change; builds community capacity for democratic participation and develops grassroots leadership; acknowledges the cultural values of the community; creates accountable participatory structures in which community members have decision-making power; and contributes to building a movement for social change by making connections between issues, developing alliances with other constituencies, and collaborating with other organizations.

The program does not make awards to individuals who exclusively provide services such as substance abuse counseling, afterschool programs, or shelter for the homeless; or who advocate on behalf of a community without directly involving the members of that community in asserting their own interests and choosing their own leadership.

Fellows will receive an award of $25,000 to take a sabbatical of three months or more.

Fellows may use their sabbaticals however they think will best prepare them for the work ahead. Fellows commonly spend the time and resources to travel, study, visit with other activists, read, write, acquire new skills, plan, evaluate, explore new interests, spend time with their families, recover their health, and restore their spirits. Fellows will participate in an orientation retreat designed to help them plan for a successful sabbatical.

Visit the Center for Social Inclusion Web site for complete program information and the application form.

http://www.centerforsocialinclusion.org/leadership/alston-bannerman-sabbatical-fellows/