Union of Minority Neighborhoods works across Boston and across Massachusetts to ensure that communities of color can effectively organize around the issues facing them. UMN trains and empowers people of color to address the problems in their neighborhoods, in their regions, and in their country, and to work successfully for change. Our efforts are designed to strengthen democracy and to rebuild communities of color, in which the pernicious and linked effects of racism and lack of economic opportunity continue to perpetrate violence. Through building leadership and power within our communities, our goal is to create a unifying force to deal with the threats to our civil liberties and the discriminatory practices that limit our access to political, economic and social power.

UMN-organized rally at the Massachusetts State House.

From the classroom to the office, from the bank to the voting booth to the prison cell and beyond, UMN is working to make sure that communities of color are organized and empowered to access the resources that make a difference in people’s lives. We have our eyes on not only individual victories, though those are critical, but also the longer project of organizing the collective clout of our friends, neighbors, and communities to create real power and real democracy.

We are trainers, building new skilled leaders and activists. We are technical assistance advisors building capacity building around campaigns, organizing, media, lobbying, advocacy, and political strategy to organizations locally and nationwide. We are organizers and coalition builders. Our programs and people are changing the political landscape of Boston and Massachu­ setts.