Lampblack Direct Aid Fund

PLEASE SEE OUR LATEST FUNDRAISING PAGE AT https://ioby.org/project/lampblack-2022-fundraising-campaign

Lampblack is a community of Black poets, storytellers, critics, and creatives committed to fighting inequity and injustice in the literary community and at large. Together, we strive to support Black writers and increase engagement with their work.

Direct aid is a critical component of our mission. We currently offer up to $100 a week to a Black writer who has been financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. That is more than just money for pens, pencils, or paper. A hundred dollars keeps a Black writer fed for a week or covers the gas and electricity bill so that their home is warm and well-lit. A hundred dollars covers the application fees for fellowships or graduate school. That kind of money goes a long way.

For more information about our direct aid program, please visit our website.

We want to expand our direct aid offerings. By raising $5,500, we can give money to two Black writers every week for the second half of 2021.

Beyond investing directly in the lives of Black writers, we also want to create a community that supports the education and growth of Black writers and readers of Black work.  We plan to launch several programs in 2021, including writing workshops and a public reading series to expand the reach of Black voices. Half of every dollar that we raise over our stated goal of $5,500 will go towards the cost of these programs (writing instructors, technology needs, etc.). For more information about these programs, please visit our website.

2021 Goals

• Give $7,500 to 75 Black writers in need
• Launch a reading series focused on the work of Black writers
• Launch a writing workshop for Black writers
• Obtain 501(c)3 status

Racial Equity. Community Action. Diversity of Thought. The Written Word. Lampblack was founded on these four principles amidst a global pandemic and civil protests. We believe that Black voices should be at the center of conversations about inequity and injustice in the literary community and at large. But too often Black writers are overcome by hardships of being Black before we can make our voices heard. We’re here to ensure, in whatever way we can, that Black writers can continue speaking truth to power in their writing and in their lives.