1. We are committed to acknowledging, respecting, and celebrating difference(s) and commonalities
  2. We are committed to collectively, lovingly and courageously working vigorously for freedom and justice for Black people and, by extension all people. As we forge our path, we intentionally build and nurture a beloved community that is bonded together through a beautiful struggle that is restorative, not depleting
  3. We are unapologetically Black in our positioning. In affirming that Black Lives Matter, we need not qualify our position. To love and desire freedom and justice for ourselves is a necessary prerequisite for wanting the same for others
  4. We see ourselves as part of the global Black family and we are aware of the different ways we are impacted or privileged as Black folk who exist in different parts of the world
  5. We are guided by the fact all Black lives matter, regardless of actual or perceived sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression, economic status, ability, disability, religious beliefs or disbeliefs, immigration status or location
  6. We are committed to embracing and making space for trans brothers and sisters to participate and lead. We are committed to being self-reflexive and doing the work required to dismantle cis-gender privilege and uplift Black trans folk, especially Black trans women who continue to be disproportionately impacted by trans-antagonistic violence
  7. We are committed to building a Black women affirming space free from sexism, misogyny, and male-centeredness
  8. We are committed to practicing empathy; we engage comrades with the intent to learn about and connect with their contexts
  9. We are committed to making our spaces family-friendly and enable parents to fully participate with their children. We are committed to dismantling the patriarchal practice that requires mothers to work “double shifts” that require them to mother in private even as they participate in justice work
  10. We are committed to disrupting the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and “villages” that collectively care for one another, and especially “our” children to the degree that mothers, parents and children are comfortable
  11. We are committed to fostering a queer-affirming network. When we gather, we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking or, rather, the belief that all in the world are heterosexual unless s/he disclose otherwise
  12. We are committed to fostering an intergenerational and communal network free from ageism. We believe that all people, regardless of age, shows up with capacity to lead and learn
  13. We are committed to embodying and practicing justice, liberation, and peace in our engagements with one another
  14. We do not endorse political candidates. We don’t demand that our individual members hold to this principle, but, under no circumstance, is an endorsement from a member of BLM-CU an endorsement from the chapter.
  15. We are committed to visibility in the Champaign-Urbana communities.
  16. We are an intergenerational movement. By that we mean that we value our community members experiences , insights, and activism without privileging youth OR age.
  17. We are committed to maintaining contact and communications with other chapters of the BLM Network as well as the national organization.
  18. We are equally committed to the guiding principles set forth by our national organization.
  19. We are intentional about coalition building.

Partners and Collaborators

Any individual or organization that wishes to partner or collaborate with BLMCU must first respect the structure and platform of this organization and treat this organization as an equal entity.   While constructive criticism and suggestions are welcome, partners and collaborators should never attempt to change the nature or path of this organization.   Any individual or organization that partners with BLMCU must have a racial justice platform or consciousness.  They also should be specifically invested in the fight against anti-Black racism and have some evidence of that investment.

Allies

Allies of BLMCU should have a racial justice consciousness.  They also should be specifically invested in the fight against anti-Black racism.  Allies are not formal members of this organization.  Therefore, allies should not be present at Chapter Council meetings or meetings or events that are specific to BLMCU members.  Allies should never speak on behalf of BLMCU or call themselves representations of this organization.  Allies should seek information and guidance from members of this organization as to how they can contribute, and not assume they know the needs or desires of the organization.