More than 1,000 civil rights activists from across the country are expected to gather in Cleveland this weekend for the first ever Movement for Black Lives Convening.
The conference, which takes place from Friday to Sunday at Cleveland State University, will bring together leaders from Million Hoodies Movement for Justice, Ferguson Action and Cleveland Action to discuss next steps in the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Our people need space to begin the creation of a collective mission that matches the intensity, scale, urgency and promise of the moment,” says the Movement for Black Lives Convening’s website. “This convening presents an opportunity for us to reflect on our histories of struggle, build a sense of fellowship that transcends geographical boundaries and begin to heal from the many traumas we face.”
Throughout the weekend, organizers and speakers will host panels on topics such as practices to better organization community movements, Black women’s empowerment, trans activism in the Black community and recovering from trauma.
“This convening is a place where we can sharpen our demands and create a space to figure out where we go next and how we make sure that this tremendous power and this tremendous building of energy lands in a real way where our people in our local communities really feel changes,” Cleveland-based activist and conference organizer Maurice Mitchell told NPR.
For more information on the conference or its events, visit movementforblacklives.org.