Orange County
Black Solidarity Network
Our Mission & Vision
The Black community makes up 2.3% of Orange County’s population, but according to the Orange County 2022 Hate Crimes Report, the Black community was and continues to be, the most targeted community for race-related hate crimes (52%) and hate incidents (43%).
The Orange County Black Solidarity Network (OCBSN) knows this needs to change, so we are dedicated to curbing violence targeted at Black Americans.
Our Vision
The Orange County Black Solidarity Network envisions a community where African Americans are united, empowered, and supported in a society free from hate and discrimination.
Our Mission
Our mission is to enhance the lives and well-being of African Americans within the Orange County Region by fostering inclusivity, equity, and the eradication of all forms of hatred within our communities.
About Us
This additional investment expands our efforts and reach to curb hate in communities throughout California. Initial investments have made a profound impact, reaching thousands of people in a short period of time. We remain committed to these necessary efforts.
This second round of funding totaling $91.4 million was distributed to 173 organizations statewide in 2023 to support Black led and Black serving organizations seeking to end hate specific to the African American community.
This new investment follows $44.6 million previously provided in response to the surge of anti-Asian hate incidents during the pandemic. In 2020, grants were awarded to five regional lead organizations who worked with 75 service provider organizations to support victims of hate incidents and to facilitate hate incident prevention measures in the Asian community.
This grant was secured in Orange County through a concentrated effort to bring more resources to educate, prevent and address hate targeted at African Americans. The funding enables the OC Black Solidarity Network to harness the collective resources and knowledge of partner organizations, creating a formalized coalition with a shared vision, goals, and objectives and building its capacity to address the needs of the community.
Our Partners
The OC Black Solidarity Network was launched in 2023 with eight key organizations and will expand to more organizations throughout the two-year grant period. Key organizations include:
Community Action Partnership of Orange County’s mission is centered around social justice, and we are proud to be leading the efforts through this funding to implement projects and programming to educate our communities about anti-hate and prevention. The money the county received through this grant will ensure thoughtful collaboration with partner organizations, helping us in executing our vision where we see generations of healthy communities where poverty ceases to exist.
Charitable Ventures serves as the fiscal agent, Community Action Partnership of Orange County (CAP OC) is leading the programming with the support of Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF), which initiated these efforts with the founding of the African American Alliance Fund (AAAF). Created in response to the tragic racial incidents of 2020, the AAAF’s mission is to raise awareness about systemic racism and support programs that advance Black residents within Orange County and surrounding communities.
Community-based organizations serving as sub-contractors include 100 Black Men of Orange County, Arts and Learning Conservatory, Council of African American Parents (CAAP), OC Black Chamber of Commerce’s nonprofit arm, the Black Chamber Education Fund, and The G.R.E.E.N. Foundation.
Our Events
The Orange County Black Solidarity Network programming kicked off with a musical tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. presented by the Arts & Learning Conservatory, and the 25th Annual Day of Service at the OC Food Bank, a program of CAP OC, where more than 700 volunteers prepared food boxes for Orange County’s most vulnerable residents.
Upcoming and ongoing projects over the next two years consist of counseling and bystander training for victims of violence, town hall meetings, community gatherings, cultural events and coordinating educational workshops and trainings with partner organizations.
Contact Us
For more information, please email info@ocblacksolidaritynetwork.com.