Mission & Vision
The BBSU is the work and dedication of youth and adult organizers and philanthropists committed to strengthening and growing the landscape of youth justice in CT.
The CT Black and Brown Student Union is anchored by its founding organizations, Hearing Youth Voices (New London), CT Students for a Dream (state wide) and CityWide Youth Coalition (New Haven). Formally formed in 2018, The CT BBSU is designed to build capacity for state wide organizing, build power around youth priorities in the state of CT, co-create a shared language and training pipeline for youth organizing in the state of CT. We ask the question, if we cannot collaborate, can we synchronize? Can we share resources, mobilizing, and assistance in the places our issue focuses intersect to run strong campaigns in broad coalition. The BBSU serves as a hub of resources, technical assistance, capacity building, training and development of youth organizers and organizations. We hold monthly membership meetings on the fourth Thursday of each month. Please contact us to get involved!
Our Commitments
Connecting youth organizers across issue focuses in the state of CT
Convening the space for discourse, training, and co-creation of shared analysis and agenda focused on BIPOC ( Black, Indigenous, people of color) in the state of CT.
Setting a strategy for communication and cooperative work that creates a cohesive landscape for young people and adults
Our Values
Dignity | Integrity | Justice | Rigor | Joy
Black, we mean people with African heritage, regardless of place; with respect to the various ways blackness is recognized and named. By Brown we mean anyone who is non-Black Latino/Latina, Asian, Indigenous, and beyond. We use the terms Black and Brown because “people of color” is a term often used to erase Black and Brown peoples’ identities in contrast to uplifting Black and Brown identities. This is our main objective.
What do we mean by youth and young people? Individuals ages 14-23.
