OUR
WORK
Imagine a world in which we all have what we need, where the only labor is that of love. Our worth is inherent, we are bound to each other by our human connection and not segregated by our perceived worth based on the market value of what we produce for others.
We live in collaborative communities, where safety is a constant because the scarcity and societal divisions that fuel violence do not exist. This is a world in which everyone thrives, and Black women in particular are able to experience an existence in which their humanity is valued, respected and honored; where Black girls face no constrained choices and have the freedom to dance, to study what they want — whatever their heart desires.
We all live in a constant state of saturated abundance — everyone is fed, sheltered and cared for. Children frolic in the gentle waves of a healthy ocean, raised by not only their parents, but a community of peers and elders who understand we are all connected and mutually invested in each other’s thriving.
At The Maven Collaborative, we use this vision for an alternate society as our North Star. Yes, it may sound fanciful. But it is also possible, and we work each day to bring our society one step closer to this world in which every single person experiences a life rich with nourishment and joy.
Our analysis of racial wealth and income inequities is holistic —interrogating the role of corporate power, occupational segregation, place, health, the criminal legal system, caregiving and more in how our economy functions. Our research — both qualitative and quantitative — provides a unique window into how Black and brown women experience inequities, and what solutions they believe are required to address them.
We strive to change the conversation so we can change systems. We shape public discourse by weighing in on policy change and increase visibility around these issues through media, panel conversations, papers and briefings. Our thought partnerships generate and spread seminal concepts, like Centering Blackness, in a way that ultimately will inform policy making.
We are working to raise awareness of how harmful narratives steeped in anti-blackness, xenophobia and sexism have shaped notions of deservedness that have fueled decades of austerity and divestment from public goods. We aim to develop new, inclusive narratives that enable us to imagine a government and an economy that addresses the exclusions and harms of the past and works for all of us.
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