Freedom, Inc. is a non-profit organization in Madison dedicated to ending violence against Black and Southeast Asian women, youth, and Queer folx. The organization does work around supporting and advocating for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault with the intent of ending patriarchal violence within Black and brown communities. 

Freedom Inc’s mission is to end violence in and against communities of color with a vision of a world where Black, Hmong, and Khmer women, youth, and LGBTQI+ folx thrive. The Black Queer Scholarship program is an extension of this mission. 

The Queer Black Scholarship comes from Big Share donations. Freedom, Inc. is a Wisconsin Community Shares partner and every year in early March, the organization participates in a day of giving to local nonprofits. This year, Freedom, Inc. raised over $50,000 to provide resources to the most harmed communities in Madison. We are accountable to our community and ensure that funds are invested directly into the needs of our people. This is one of the many ways we are investing in the leadership, wellness, and creativity of Black students. 

The Marsha P. Johnson Scholarship for Youth Education (aged 17 – 24) and the Pat Parker Scholarship for Adult Education (aged 25+) honors critical Black history sheroes while supporting educational opportunities for Black LGBTQ+ folks in Dane County. She was one of the leaders of the Stonewall rebellion, a righteous riot against police violence toward Queer folx. Marsha co-founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), the first gay, gender non-conforming, and transgender street activist organization in 1970 which provided shelter and food to homeless Queer youth and organized for Transgender rights. Parker, both a poet and activist, was a member of the Black Panther Party, Black Women’s Revolutionary Council, and formed the Women’s Press Collective. 

These scholarships help Black Queer people pursue an education; both awards help support individuals pursuing their post-secondary degrees in any four-year institution, community college, vocational program, or professional program. The Black Queer Scholarship program is about helping Black LGBTQ+ folx access resources for their educational aspirations 

Scholarships and opportunities like this are very important to Black Queer, trans, and intersex folx who experience the policing of their bodies and Queer identities, violence, and bias when navigating institutions as Black and Queer. Therefore, these scholarships are a way to invest in Black, Queer students’ futures, leadership, and wellness. 

Applicants must answer the question: “What are your educational pursuits and how do you plan on inspiring and/or making an impact on your community with your education?” The goal of these scholarships is to not only to assist Black, Queer youth and adults with accessing education, but to also uplift and cultivate leaders who are then able to empower their communities. 

The deadline for the scholarships is August 27, 2021 and applicants must identify as Black and LGBTQIA+. The application can at accessed at bit.ly/blaQscholars 

For more information, contact Nour Loren; [email protected]