Please submit the form below to express interest in future Institute cohorts. Dates for new cohort sessions and application deadlines are to be determined. By completing this form you will be first to hear about upcoming opportunities to apply.
With an emphasis on developing liberatory consciousness, Deaconess Foundation's Institute for Black Liberation (the Institute) gives Black leaders in the Metropolitan St. Louis region the opportunity to reckon with and heal from racial trauma and the pervasive effects of internalized and structural racism. The interdisciplinary, intergenerational program will equip participants to create and sustain community change.
The Institute is a 10 month commitment, begining in September and ending in May. Commitments include required three, one-week immersive sessions (Monday - Friday, 9 am - 5 pm) held in September, January, and May (exact dates will be provided on the application). During the months between the immersive sessions, there are a variety of activities designed to enhance learning and maintain community building which include webinars, small group meetings, and check-in sessions with the Institute senior facilitators. Immersive sessions are in-person and all others are online. Due to the limited time the cohort has together and the intensive nature of the work, it is extremely important that selected participants be able to attend all sessions.