The Black Collective is a left-of-center activist organization based in southern Florida that is connected to the larger Black Lives Matter movement. It has staunchly opposed several policies of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), particularly his support of a state law passed in 2021 designed to prevent public rioting and looting. The group lobbies for and against state legislation in Florida and supports left-of-center criminal justice policy with a focus on opposing Republican-backed proposals concerning criminal justice, immigration, ballot measures, and local government. ^{1 2} It hires campaign organizers who seek to advocate for legislation based on how they impact Black Americans and ethnic minorities overall, using identity politics as a basis for their campaigning.³

The group received $107,000 from the Alliance for Global Justice, a left-wing organizing group that serves as a fiscal sponsor to numerous radical-left initiatives and Black Lives Matter-associated organizations, in 2019.⁴ In 2020, the Black Collective received a $30,000 grant from the Tides Foundation, a $40,000 grant from Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute, and $20,000 from Groundswell Fund.⁵⁶⁷

Background

The Black Collective was founded in 2019 as an organizing group ostensibly connected to the larger Black Lives Matter movement. The group is based in Miami and conducts lobbying and get-out-the-vote efforts throughout Florida, with an emphasis on supporting and opposing bills pending before the Florida legislature. ^{1 8}

Legislative Positions

During the 2022 Florida legislative session, Black Collective supported repealing an anti-riot law, while opposing many Republican-backed bills that would provide penalties for protesting outside a private residence, require protestors to pay for the costs of enforcing zones for “special events” such as protests, limit local government from enacting ordinances that create a loss of revenue for small businesses, increasing the threshold for a statewide constitutional amendment to be approved by voters, and require local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration officers. ¹

On its website, the Black Collective claimed Republican legislators in Florida attempted to advance “destructive, intrusive, [and] harmful” legislation during the run up to the 2022 midterm election, advising voters to not vote for Republican candidates. It argues that legislators should instead increase spending for public schools, as well as social spending, and also advocates for left-of-center policies such as rent control.⁹

Legislative Advocacy

Anti-Riot Law

The Black Collective has staunchly opposed several policies of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), particularly his support of a state law passed in 2021 designed to prevent public rioting and looting. ^{1 2} The legislation, titled the “Combatting Violence, Disorder, and Looting, and Law Enforcement Protection Act,” was passed as HB 1 during the 2021 Florida state legislative session following the Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020. The law makes it illegal to “willfully participate in a violent public disturbance involving an assembly of three or more persons, acting with a common intent to assist each other in violent and disorderly conduct, resulting in […] injury to another person; […] damage to property; […] or imminent danger of injury to another person or damage to property.” ¹⁰

Following the passage of HB1 in April 2021, the Black Collective published a blog post and press release that condemned Gov. Desantis for signing the bill and argued that the bill would “incite(s) voter suppression” as well as “silence dissent,” “censor individuals,” and “kill Black Floridians” who are so-called peaceful protestors. The bill updates the definition of engaging in riot and states, “A person commits a riot if he or she willfully participates in a violent public disturbance involving an assembly of three or more persons, acting with a common intent to assist each other in violent and disorderly conduct” and also if the behavior results in or causes imminent danger of injury to others or property damage.¹¹

Black Collective along with Dream Defenders, Chainless Change, the Black Lives Matter Alliance of Broward, the Florida State Conference of the NAACP, and the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville sued Gov. DeSantis in federal court regarding the law. A federal judge requested guidance from the Florida Supreme Court regarding how the law would be enforced in 2023 prior to deciding on the case. ^{2 10}

Immigration

The Black Collective opposed state legislation that would require local governments in Florida to participate in the enforcement of immigration laws and prohibit the migration of illegal immigrants into the state. It advocates against any enforcement of federal immigration laws, arguing that it violates the civil rights of migrants and violates “the basic principles of federalism.”¹²

Housing

In addition to supporting rent control, the Black Collective opposed legislation that would allow landlords to charge a nonrefundable fee in lieu of a security deposit on the grounds that the legislation would burden low-income and Black individuals.⁹¹²

People

Francesca Menes is a cofounder and board chair of The Black Collective. She also serves on a Miami-Dade County Community Redevelopment Agency. Previously, Menes served as Treasurer for the Florida Democratic Party and State Committeewoman for the Miami-Dade Democratic Party.¹³

Valencia Gunder is a cofounder of The Black Collective and also serves as Criminal Justice Program Manager for New Florida Majority, which campaigns for Democratic candidates in Florida elections. Gunder was named a Soros Justice fellow for her activism advocating for eliminating election integrity laws.¹³

Funding

The Black Collective reported only $2,675 of revenue on its tax filings for the year 2019. In 2021, the organization received $107,000 from the Alliance for Global Justice, a radical-left organizing group that serves as a fiscal sponsor to numerous left-wing initiatives and Black Lives Matter-associated organizations. AFGJ is funded by a number of center-left foundations, including George Soros’s Open Society Foundations, Tides Foundation, Arca Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Public Welfare Foundation, and the Brightwater Fund. ¹⁴

1. “Bills to Watch.” The Black Collective. Accessed February 10, 2023. https://www.theblkcollective.org/22bills
2. “Anti-Protest Law.” The Black Collective. Accessed February 10, 2023. https://www.theblkcollective.org/antiprotestlaw
3. “Jobs.” The Black Collective. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://www.theblkcollective.org/jobs.
4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Alliance for Global Justice. Schedule I, Part II, Line 76. 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/522094677/202123159349306682/full
5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Tides Foundation. Schedule I, Part II, Line 206.
6. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax(Form 990). BVM Building Capacity Institute. Schedule I, Part II, Line 227.
7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax(Form 990). Groundswell Fund. Schedule I, Part II, Line 135.
8. “The Black Collective.” Guidestar. Accessed February 10, 2023. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/83-2831423
9. “What Is the Legislative Process?” The Black Collective. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://www.theblkcollective.org/legislationprocess.
10. Moline, Michael. “FL Supreme Court to help interpret DeSantis’ 2021 anti-riot law.” Miami Times. January 18, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.  https://www.miamitimesonline.com/news/florida/fl-supreme-court-to-help-interpret-desantis-2021-anti-riot-law/article_fbbdfed6-95be-11ed-9b08-cfbd69ef1cb5.html
11. “Anti-Protest Law.” The Black Collective. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://www.theblkcollective.org/antiprotestlaw.
12. “’22 Bills We’re Watching.” The Black Collective. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://www.theblkcollective.org/22bills.
13. “Board Members.” The Black Collective. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://www.theblkcollective.org/board-members.
14. Data compiled by Foundationsearch.com subscription service, a project of Metasoft Systems, Inc. from forms filed with the Internal Revenue Service.