May and June are very special months for the Blackboard community!

Between Mother's Day, Father's Day and several Birthdays associated with our Founder, Garlia Cornelia Jones. This time of family history and stories is the cornerstone of this year's Spring Fundraising Campaign.

Who we came from, what was passed down, and what shaped the way we see the world. That is exactly what Blackboard does for Black playwrights: creates spaces for the stories the need to be told, preserved and honored.

We've been doing that for nearly 20 years.

This year's campaign invites YOU, our community to celebrate those milestones by invest in the next generation of Black theatrical voices.

THE ORIGIN STORY: GARLIA’S FATHER

On May 2nd, Garlia’s father, Dr. James Allen Jones turned 101. His work as an educator and Black theatre practitioner in Detroit through Restoration Arts Theater, his connection to Woodie King Jr. and the love of the arts, especially theatre that he instilled in his daughter, Garlia, is part of the DNA of Blackboard Plays. This is not just a fundraiser. It is a birthday tribute to a father and an origin story that we are sharing.

CELEBRATING BLACK PARENTS AND FAMILY ALL YEAR LONG

Created in 2020 as a partnership with the Parent Artist Advocacy League (PAAL), the Black Motherhood and Parenting New Play Festival (BMPFest) celebrates Black family stories all year long. Our most recent 3rd season is available for free streaming, and is deployed throughout this campaign as both a content driver and a Patreon on-ramp. BMPFest gives new patrons something immediate and tangible to come for — subscribe and watch now — making subscriber acquisition a value exchange, not just a mission pitch.

LOOKING TOWARDS 20 YEARS

Blackboard was founded in 2008. As we look towards our 20th anniversary is 2028, every dollar raised moves us towards Blackboard House, a permanent home for Black playwrights; growing our podcast, continuing to pay our artists and team and our annual festival. Over the last couple years, we have been seriously focused on institution-building, not just survival.

Blackboard's Spring Birthday and Family Celebrations Campaign