Hebrews 11 tells us, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” If we are not willing to dream beyond what we see, to imagine futures where Black children thrive without limitation, then we will continue to be bound by the inequities that surround us.
At the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI), we refuse to be bound.
We are the first and only think and do tank centering Black children as essential assets to the planet. We are not here simply to reform broken systems. We are here to reimagine them entirely.
Our vision is bold, Afrofuturist, and urgently necessary: a world where Black children are designers of their futures, not mere recipients of incremental change. We are shaping a reality where every Black child across this globe is born at a healthy weight, attends a school that affirms and expands them, enjoys meals with vegetables, hangs out on a safe and appropriate internet, has books and toys that reflect who they are and can be, breathes clean air and drinks clean water, is seen as a child and lives and plays in a safe community.
Centering Afrofuturism: A New Way Forward
Despite some progress, too often reports focus on disparities rather than dreams. Data points, while useful, cannot be the sole architects of our imagination. We must move beyond “traumatizing visuals of Black people’s suffering” (Nxumalo & ross, 2019) toward powerful visions of Black futurity. Toward spaces where Black belonging, Black knowledge, and Black dreams are the foundation for new worlds.
This is why NBCDI is investing in a future-oriented model of advocacy. We believe those most impacted by systemic injustice must not only inform systems — they must design them. We are applying the tools of strategic foresight and Afrofuturism to envision, plan, and build a thriving, just world.
Our Staff Retreat: Dreaming Beyond Limits
Under the transformative leadership of Ingrid LaFleur — cultural strategist, futures researcher, and founder of The Afrofuture Strategies Institute — our NBCDI team gathered in Washington, D.C. for a historic staff retreat. Guided by Ingrid, we moved beyond what is to imagine what could be.
Through our Afrofuturism Systems Design process, we dreamed expansively of a world where NBCDI’s Eight Essential Outcomes for Black children are no longer aspirations but reality. We imagined Black children’s futures boldly, then backcasted our work to ensure today’s actions serve tomorrow’s dreams. Backcasting is a futurist practice of walking backwards from a desired future to understand the steps that make it possible.
It was expansive and dreamy, but also actionable and practical. We anchored our visions in the now, connecting possibility to strategy, and urgency to hope.
NBCDI: From Vision to Action
Since 1970, NBCDI has carried the charge set by our birthmothers, the Black Women’s Community Development Foundation, who, in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement, birthed and raised NBCDI because they dreamed better for Black children. Today, we honor that legacy not by accepting the world as it is, but by shaping the world as it should be.
Our commitment is clear:
- To shift from incrementalism to transformation.
- To become a preeminent voice on Black children and families, speaking with uncommon insight and deep contextual knowledge.
- To use Afrofuturist thought not for entertainment alone, but as a respected, rigorous framework for constructing social impact.
Building the Future Together: Join Us
We are calling you in — dreamers, doers, builders, and believers. We are growing our network from 2,000 members in the U.S. to one million members across the United States, the Caribbean, South America, and Africa.
If you believe Black children deserve futures designed for their brilliance and joy, join us. Become part of a movement that centers Black children’s lives not as problems to fix, but as futures to nurture.
And in this critical moment, when there are deliberate movements to erase our institutions and our histories, we must invest in our own. NBCDI’s work depends on financial support from those who believe that Black children deserve more than survival — they deserve to thrive in a just and brilliant future. Your donations fuel the creation of futures we can only achieve together.
The Future Looks Like This:
A Black child, born healthy, fed well, taught to love their mind and their history, playing safely, exploring freely, growing up in a world made with them, for them, and by them.
