Our Core Team

Educational Justice for Black Coloradans (EJBC) was developed by two Black women-led community organizations—Collaborative Healing Initiative Within Communities (CHIC) and Sisterhood of Philanthropists Impacting Needs (SPIN)—in the summer of 2020, as a response to underlying racial inequities in health, employment, and education that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the urgent and renewed calls for racial justice.

In this historic moment, CHIC and SPIN leadership responded with a bold vision of an initiative that would provide no-cost education to every Black Coloradan across the full spectrum of educational opportunities throughout one's lifetime. The initiative became known as Educational Justice for Black Coloradans (EJBC) and was launched in 2021. CHIC and SPIN raised startup capital and engaged the Bell Policy Center and Social Impact Solutions to conduct an initial feasibility study. The following report summarizes the work of EJBC, and the findings of the initial feasibility study.

Mission and Goals

The mission of Educational Justice for Black Coloradans (EJBC) is to guarantee that any Black person who resides in Colorado and meets the requirements for in-state tuition can attend school from preschool through postsecondary education (including trades and other non- degree credentials, two- and four-year degrees, and graduate study, as well as re- skilling/credentialing) for free in a Colorado public institution or program. EJBC uses increasing educational opportunity as its core strategy, since educational attainment is a strong predictor of generational health and wealth. Through the creation of educational opportunities, racial disparities in educational access, attainment, and advancement can be mitigated to advance long-term justice for Black Coloradans.

The premise for this initiative is a strong belief that Black Americans, whose unpaid labor formed the basis for all wealth and power in this country, are owed the opportunity and the resources to build wealth and power for themselves. This initiative would also hold America accountable to its unfulfilled promises to Black communities as well as to the ideals upon which this country was founded.

Given the vision of educational justice for Black Coloradans throughout their lives, the original scope of the initiative included a focus on the two educational components not fully funded through public funds, preschool and postsecondary education. Colorado is in the process of implementing a statewide expansion of preschool approved by the voters in 2020, and there is currently significant momentum for transforming and improving access to quality early care and education across the state, including establishment of a new state Department of Early Childhood. Given these advances, CHIC and SPIN made a strategic decision to focus EJBC’s efforts on postsecondary education and credentials for Black Coloradans, while remaining connected to developments in the early childhood space. As a result, the feasibility study focuses only on postsecondary education and credentials for Black Coloradans.

Educational Justice for Black Coloradans will coordinate and supplement existing Federal financial aid as well as existing public and/or private scholarships to ensure that qualifying Black individuals can access higher education — including two-year, four-year, and technical institutions and programs — one hundred percent cost-free and debt-free.

Our Partners

Educational Justice for Black Coloradans Advisory Committee

Name

Sen. James Coleman, State Senator

Collinus Newsome, Colorado Health Foundation

Erin Brown, Former City of Denver / Colorado Health Foundation

Charles Dukes, WEND Foundation

Dr. Ryan Ross, Colorado Community College System

Dr. Angie Pacchione, Colorado Department of Higher Education

Joe Garcia, Colorado Community College System

Rico Munn, Aurora Public Schools

Rico Munn (assistant), Aurora Public Schools

Bernard McCune, Denver Public Schools

Rebecca Holmes, Colorado Education Initiative

Gerie Grimes, Hope Center

Renise Walker, Colorado Workforce Development Council/CDLE

Danielle Shoots, Colorado Trust

Richard Lewis, RTL Networks

Kim Desmond, City and County of Denver

Morris Price, City Year

Rev. Stephany Spaulding, Truth and Conciliation Committee

Craig Maginness, Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church

Derrick Kelsey, The Embassy Church

Javon Brame, Arapahoe Community College