Community groups in Massachusetts and across the country that want to take a stand again racism, climate change, LGBTQ rights and more need the resources and connections to make an impact.
A new program created in partnership with the NAACP and Groundwork Project, called the Organizing Accelerator, is launching in Boston and will help fill in those gaps for up-and-coming organizers, campaigners and social justice advocates across the country.
Former Congressman Joe Kennedy III, who founded Groundwork Project, and Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP said on Greater Boston that they started the accelerator after noticing talented organizers in areas such like the Deep South, which are often overlooked by big politics.
"In order for us to make democracy work for all, individuals must understand their agency and how their talents can be applied," Johnson said.
Kennedy and Johnson said the accelerator will give selected organizers the tools they need to have their voices heard, and make an impact on their community.
"What we hope to do is allow these extraordinary leaders the opportunity to recognize their own talent, be in community with others and enable them to lift each other up," Kennedy said.
The accelerator has already chosen a cohort of 16 advocates to get started. They recieved more than 100 applications.
Watch: NAACP, Joe Kennedy team up on program to train up-and-coming social justice activists
