About Us
Feminist-informed Future Black Female (FBF) is a non-profit organization that works to empower Black girls and women between the ages of 16 and 22 to take charge of their education and career paths as well as their social, political, and civic engagement.
We offer access to strong networks, skills development and advancement, and rights-based advocacy. Since 2019, FBF has successfully initiated and implemented numerous initiatives in collaboration with community partners and other organizations.
WHY WE EXIST
Our Beliefs
VISION
Community-Empowered Black Female Youth
VALUES
Opportunity • Dignity • Respect • Equality • TenacityEducation • Advocacy • Celebration • Authenticity • Action • Unity
MISSION
To increase access to opportunities that result in Black female youth across the globe becoming more socially, politically, and economically empowered through strong networks, skills advancement, and rights-based advocacy.
WHAT WE DO
Our Principles
FEMALE EMPOWERMENT
We privilege Black Feminist Thought, which contributed to society's understanding of intersectionality and epistemic privilege. Further, we advance the centering of Black feminists in the understanding of what it is to be a girl or woman by creating and claiming space in the world and as a vital part of the global feminist movement.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
FBF believes that for Black female youth, social change comes when we focus on and act to implement culturally relevant and responsive solutions to the fundamental problems and injustices they face.
COMMUNITY
We do not seek to achieve female empowerment or social justice without the valuable contributions of sisters, mothers, aunties, grandmothers, friends and allies from across different sectors and spaces. We build in unity and harmony. Where we must fight for power or justice, it is in the same spirit of unity and harmony.
MEET OUR FOUNDER
Dr. Tapo Chimbganda
In 2019, I founded Future Black Female. The reason? My journey to “Dr Tapo” has been one of struggle and strength. I can recount many stories and situations where navigating a harsh and abrasive system left me bruised as a Black woman in Canada. In most of those situations, I had to find the strength within myself so I could get to where I needed to be.
Future Black Female recognizes that Black women are tenacious and strong, not because it is in our nature, but because we often have no choice. We often have to fight against systems of abuse, misogyny, exclusion, and much more. We craft our own solutions to the problems put upon us, for our children, our partners, and ourselves. Unfortunately, like many who fight battles over and over, by the time we get to that point in our journey where we should be savouring our successes, many of us are exhausted, burnt out, and experiencing mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress syndrome. Such daily struggles affect our relationships, our careers, and our capacity for happiness.
As a community and support system, Future Black Female aims to increase and maintain the capacity for happiness in each girl and woman we encounter. We will be there to educate, advocate, motivate and celebrate the journey starting in their adolescent years. We offer this privilege to Black girls and women.
OUR OPERATIONS
How We Are Governed
Future Black Female (FBF) is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors. More information about our board and annual reports can be found here.