Posted on Monday, July, 13th, 2020 in Annual Grants, Opportunity Fund Grants.
$50,000 / 2020 – 2021
Milwaukee, WI
Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT) is a youth of color-led independent nonprofit. Founded in 2017, LIT engages in youth-led values-based issue and electoral organizing, direct action, advocacy for public policy, and leadership development.LIT’s leadership development program, Black Hogwartz, empowers youth with skills to craft their Youth Power Agenda to dismantle Milwaukee’s School to Prison Pipeline and combat the systems of oppression that are hindering their ability to thrive. In 2019, LIT organized the divestment of$600,000 from the Milwaukee schools policing budget and reinvested funds into mental health resources. They organized and effectively blocked the Milwaukee Police Department from participating in“welcoming students” at the annual Freshmen Bridge multi-‐day incoming student orientations. They also blocked MPS administration from entering into a $217,000 contract with ADANI Systems for airport-style X-‐ray machines that had been intended to ramp up security at a dozen high schools