We gather during Black History Month to examine the present and take responsibility for the future we are shaping together.

We have witnessed attacks on Black immigrants, including the Trump administration’s demonization of African nations as “shithole countries.” Travel restrictions were expanded to include several African nations such as Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, and Eritrea often citing security concerns that critics argued were pretextual.

Black history is lived every day through migration, policing, labor, housing, and the fight for belonging. For Black asylum seekers and refugees, it crosses borders, carrying resilience and survival into a country that often claims freedom while withholding safety.

Panelist

This virtual event centers speakers with lived experience who invite us to slow down, listen deeply, and tell the truth about who is protected, who is punished, and who is expected to endure in silence. Together, we will imagine communities grounded in dignity, shared responsibility, and care.

Steven Muleme is a Ugandan queer activist, writer, and cultural organizer based in New York. He is the Founder and Executive Director of African Queer Voices (AQV), a nonprofit amplifying African LGBTIQ+ voices through storytelling, arts, and community-centered advocacy. He serves on the Global Advisory Council of the Franklin & Marshall Global Barometers, as Vice President of Global Outreach at InterPride, and as a Board Member of Refuge America.

Tania Mattos, a proud Aymara descendant born in Bolivia and raised in Queens, NY, is a seasoned organizer, activist, and policy advocate with nearly two decades of experience. A founding member of Abolish ICE NY/NJ and Queens Neighborhoods United, she has fought detention, displacement, and police abuse. After winning her own fight to stay in the U.S., she now serves as Executive Director of UnLocal, supporting immigrant communities nationwide.

Policy alone does not keep people safe. Community does our presence matters.