Organizing Black

Organizing Black is a grassroots, member-led organization based in Baltimore, MD dedicated to fighting for the liberation of all Black people through transformational direct action organizing, political education, and participatory governance practices. Founded in 2016 by Michaela Brown, Ralikh Hayes, Tre Murphy, Hani Bello, Justin Johnson, and Rob Ferrell, Organizing Black brings together experienced organizers who have worked on local, state, national, and international campaigns to build local power and create systemic change.

The organization specializes in Black direct action organizing that centers relationships, authenticity, and collective decision-making. Their work focuses on redefining the systems that perpetuate oppression and racism, creating safe spaces for Black organizers to learn and grow, and developing leadership at the intersections of social justice. Organizing Black's approach emphasizes transparent, mutually respectful relationships as the foundation for transforming institutions and systems that govern Baltimore communities.

With a team of experienced organizers including Executive Director Michaela Brown and Senior Organizer MarTaze Taz Gaines, Organizing Black addresses critical issues including the abolition of the carceral state, economic justice, political representation, and the school-to-prison pipeline. The organization's methodology combines direct action campaigns with political education and participatory governance, ensuring that community members share in processes, decisions, and leadership of the institutional fabric that affects their lives. Organizing Black serves as a practitioner-led movement working toward a world where all Black people are economically, politically, and socially free.