Black History Month 2024 Community Highlight: The Father’s Group
Boost Oregon focuses on and celebrates Black communities all year long, and we proudly celebrate Black History Month this February. Partnering with Black organizations across the state to create and deliver programs specifically for Black families is vital to our success. We also work to amplify Black voices in our podcast, Boosting Our Voices. Since our founding, we are committed to pursuing equitable health outcomes for Black Oregonians. Today, we honor the work of Black Oregonians by spotlighting one of our community partners, The Father’s Group.
Founded by a group of Central Oregon Black fathers who were concerned about the experiences their children were having both in school and in the broader community, The Father’s Group works to enhance the lives of the Black community through youth education, leadership, economic empowerment and community advocacy, while strengthening our community, eliminating barriers, and helping them reach their full potential. Their after school program, Ujima-- meaning the principle of collective work and responsibility--educates youth through leadership, academic achievement, culture awareness, and self-care. The program offers weekly classes that inspire important life skills and instill confidence in youth with a variety of engaging topics and activities. The program is for middle and high school students, open to all, but created as a safe space for students of color. To learn more about the program, visit https://thefathersgroup.org/ujima.
Since 2021, The Father’s Group annually hosts a weekend-long Juneteenth celebration providing education, entertainment and community building coinciding with the Juneetenth holiday. The 2024 theme of “Jubilee” embodies the joyous celebration of the emancipation of African Americans through authentic African, Caribbean, and African American cuisine, art, music, and cultural education. Boost Oregon has supported the event for the past two years, and plans to support the 2024 event as well. Learn more about this year’s Juneteenth event, and make plans to attend at https://www.juneteenthcentralor.com.
We encourage you to learn more about The Father’s Group, consider donating or volunteering, and follow them on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) for current updates. This Black History Month, take some time to expand your understanding of the Black lived experience in Oregon. Together, we can dismantle systemic racism, inequality, and hate for a brighter future for generations to come.