Black Main Line Speaks Website and Main Line BSU
Donation protected
Hello, we are Black Main Line Speaks , a platform created to uplift the voices and stories of Black students, parents, alums, and staff at schools on Philadelphia's Main Line. We’re raising money to create a website that will fit our community’s needs. We started less than a month ago and are amazed by our ever-growing community and its support. This platform’s success is due to its filling a dire need: a space for the Black community at Main Line schools to be heard.
We post submitted stories to our Instagram account @BlackMainLineSpeaks . Many community members have messaged us for various information such as lists of schools that have responded, accounts similar to ours, ways they can help, and collections of stories from each individual school. In order to help our community, we created a website that contained the information and answers people were looking for. Unfortunately, one aspect is missing from our website: the ability to read stories from individual schools.
When we began our account, we never expected it to grow this big so we were not prepared for this need. Parents, alums, and current students have reached out to us because they wish to be able to take these stories to their administrations. Individually sorting through the hundreds of stories would be extremely time consuming and require constant upkeep as we continue to share the hundreds of other submissions we received. To remedy this problem, we are asking for community support. After researching for applications and additions, we discovered the appropriate programs to create the website our community needs.
In the past, people have reached out to us offering financial support but the platform had no need for it at the time and although the work is mentally and emotionally laborious and extremely time-consuming, the BMLS Team does not feel comfortable accepting funds for our personal use. Instead, we ask you to donate to our fund to support our community needs. The BMLS Team is hoping to raise $500 to create a website to aid the community in demanding change from these institutions. We need at least $350 in order to create the website which will accept the application the community needs. Our goal is $500 because the remaining money will go towards an All Main Line Black Student Union fund.
Some time ago, the BMLS Team brought the idea of a multi-school Black Student Union (BSU) to the Black Inter Ac Alumni Association. From our personal experience, spaces and times for Black students to feel supported and safe are rare when attending Main Line schools. Some of our best experiences and learning moments have been in Black affinity groups and diversity conferences. We want those spaces and opportunities for other Black students as well. In addition, our posts received many comments under the similar sentiment of “The Black students at my school thought we had it bad and other schools were better. These problems really are bad at all Main Line schools.” Comments like that caused us to realize there needs to be spaces for Black students of Main Line schools to come together, discuss, heal, and learn. The Black Inter Ac Alumni Association supports the establishment of a larger multi-school Main Line BSU as one of their action items.
In no way will the Black Main Line Speaks Team take or use this money. Our expansion will be completely transparent and we will publish all receipts and information regarding the fund to our website. We have worked for days on the current website we have for the community and only hope to be able to support our community in its demands for change and accountability.
We appreciate our community. Black Main Line Speaks couldn't have come this far without your support.
With love and solidarity,
The BMLS Team
We post submitted stories to our Instagram account @BlackMainLineSpeaks . Many community members have messaged us for various information such as lists of schools that have responded, accounts similar to ours, ways they can help, and collections of stories from each individual school. In order to help our community, we created a website that contained the information and answers people were looking for. Unfortunately, one aspect is missing from our website: the ability to read stories from individual schools.
When we began our account, we never expected it to grow this big so we were not prepared for this need. Parents, alums, and current students have reached out to us because they wish to be able to take these stories to their administrations. Individually sorting through the hundreds of stories would be extremely time consuming and require constant upkeep as we continue to share the hundreds of other submissions we received. To remedy this problem, we are asking for community support. After researching for applications and additions, we discovered the appropriate programs to create the website our community needs.
In the past, people have reached out to us offering financial support but the platform had no need for it at the time and although the work is mentally and emotionally laborious and extremely time-consuming, the BMLS Team does not feel comfortable accepting funds for our personal use. Instead, we ask you to donate to our fund to support our community needs. The BMLS Team is hoping to raise $500 to create a website to aid the community in demanding change from these institutions. We need at least $350 in order to create the website which will accept the application the community needs. Our goal is $500 because the remaining money will go towards an All Main Line Black Student Union fund.
Some time ago, the BMLS Team brought the idea of a multi-school Black Student Union (BSU) to the Black Inter Ac Alumni Association. From our personal experience, spaces and times for Black students to feel supported and safe are rare when attending Main Line schools. Some of our best experiences and learning moments have been in Black affinity groups and diversity conferences. We want those spaces and opportunities for other Black students as well. In addition, our posts received many comments under the similar sentiment of “The Black students at my school thought we had it bad and other schools were better. These problems really are bad at all Main Line schools.” Comments like that caused us to realize there needs to be spaces for Black students of Main Line schools to come together, discuss, heal, and learn. The Black Inter Ac Alumni Association supports the establishment of a larger multi-school Main Line BSU as one of their action items.
In no way will the Black Main Line Speaks Team take or use this money. Our expansion will be completely transparent and we will publish all receipts and information regarding the fund to our website. We have worked for days on the current website we have for the community and only hope to be able to support our community in its demands for change and accountability.
We appreciate our community. Black Main Line Speaks couldn't have come this far without your support.
With love and solidarity,
The BMLS Team
Organizer
Black Main Line Speaks
Organizer
Bryn Mawr, PA
