NoCap 2023 Kick-Off

Each year the NoCap program hosts a paid fellowship to provide the next generation of organizers with the tools to create change and build power on their campus and within their community. In October 2023, we had the opportunity to welcome 16 fellows from eight different HBCUs in NC, SC, LA, and GA. The schools represented in this year’s fellowship include North Carolina Central University, Bennett College, Winston Salem State University, Claflin University, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Fort Valley State University, and Dillard University. A large part of attending an HBCU is joining a community with a historical legacy. These students expressed interest and are eager to not only be a part of that community but are actively impacting those communities in necessary ways. The goal of this year’s fellowship is to expose students to different aspects of community organizing, help them find their roles, provide them with a network of organizers, and give them tools to carry on the work.

Students have had the opportunity to build coalitions with other young folks across the south learning from each other, our team, and our training facilitators. Some training sessions have included the history and impact of the restriction of reproductive health care, the legacy of HBCU student organizing in the south, and how to canvas in your community. Upcoming trainings will cover education on genocide in Palestine, narrative building in organizing, and identifying resources in the community. The fellowship also incorporates a journaling portion that allows students to connect and identify with what drives them to do this work, how to heal and transform as an organizer, and what liberation can look like in their lifetime.

Students are working to complete projects that highlight issues that directly impact them. Some issues that students have chosen to tackle include mental health for students, genocide in Palestine, voting access in the south, and dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline. As the fellowship continues we are excited to support the growth of youth organizing and can’t wait to see how they continue to build and locate power. To stay updated with what our students are getting involved in, follow our Instagram @thenocap.team!