Blackroots Alliance

Founded in 2020, Black Roots Alliance is a nonprofit organization based on Chicago’s South Side. It serves as a capacity-building network that provides research, leadership, legal, and communications support for grassroots organizations. With this award, Black Roots Alliance commissions a series of focus groups throughout the city to test the reception of and response to the language “Defund Police.” The project provides data on how various sectors of the city respond to this language, with the results informing the development of effective messages to overcome discriminatory policing practices.