WHAT IS THE BLOC?

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Launched in March 2022, the Bronx Leadership & Organizing Center (BLOC) was founded to spur the development of new solutions to sustainably lift families out of poverty and to promote dynamic leaders who will aim to change the public conversation around social and economic mobility.

HISTORY

  • Logo with purple background showing stylized white city skyline and text that reads 'BLOC Bronx Leadership & Organizing Center'

    March 2022

    The Bronx Defenders, East Side House, and New Settlement co-found the Bronx Leadership & Organizing Center (BLOC), generously funded by Robin Hood Foundation’s Mobility LABs

  • Two women sitting at a table outdoors, engaging with a person standing in front of them, at a community fair. The women are wearing pink shirts, and the table has flyers, brochures, and informational materials. One woman is pointing at a brochure, and there are water bottles and a container on the table.

    August 2022

    Young people organize Youth Leadership Day following a community survey​ that identified education as a high priority

    Photo Credit: Savannah Miles

  • Three women wearing matching purple T-shirts with a cityscape and text that reads "BLOC Bronx Leadership & Organizing Center," standing together indoors.

    November 2022

    BLOC organizes a job fair that highlights the need to build connections with local business leaders and Business Improvement Districts to create local job opportunities for youth

  • Two people stand on a stage, one speaking into a microphone and the other clapping, inside a gym with a blue padded wall in the background.

    December 2022

    The first cohort of the Community Advisory Council (now the Youth Action Council) launches

  • English and Spanish official NYC ballot paper with a QR code, printed text, and a checkbox, surrounded by informational pamphlets and pencils.

    January 2023

    BLOC is chosen as anchor partner for the NYC Civic Engagement Commission’s Participatory Budgeting process: The People’s Money

  • Group of diverse people seated in a gymnasium, engaged in conversation during a community event.

    March 2023

    BLOC organizes its 1st Annual Bronx Housing Forum which highlights youth leadership and the need for more resources for our community​

  • Group of four people standing behind a table covered with brochures, flyers, and pamphlets at a Bronx Leadership & Organizing Center event, with an arch of green balloons in the background.

    April 2023

    BLOC organizes the 1st Annual Highbridge Family Wellness Day to train community members about ACES, trauma, KYR, and Healing Centered Schools

    Photo Credit: Ethan Johnson

  • A group of people attending a workshop in a room with a facilitator presenting at the front. The room has black tables, some with cups, and books on shelves. A screen displays workshop ideas, and windows with bars are behind the presenter.

    Summer 2023

    Through multiple youth focus groups, 80 young people identify financial insecurity as a major barrier to housing and long-term success​

  • Person with curly hair wearing a black GAP hoodie sitting at a desk, writing in a notebook, with documents, a water bottle, a snack, and several pens on the desk.

    May 2024

    Next Generation Financial Justice Internship Pilot Program launches to increase financial empowerment among youth

  • A diverse group of people gathered on stairs holding a purple banner that reads 'Bronx Leadership & Organizing Center' and a black sign saying 'the Bronx Defenders.' They are participating in a rally against rent increases, with some holding signs in Spanish and orange signs with messages about rent rollback and rent reduction. The background shows a building with large windows.

    June 2024

    The BLOC anchors the Bronx Rent Guidelines Board Rally, calling for a rent reduction for rent stabilized units

  • Stacks of purple booklets titled 'The Bronx Writes Back: The Cradle to Prison Pipeline' placed on a purple tablecloth.

    Spring 2025

    The BLOC leads and facilitates the book publishing of six Bronxites who have experienced the cradle to prison pipeline

  • Panel discussion with five diverse women and one man seated on stage at Metropolitan College of the Bronx, with a large screen showing their names and titles in the background.

    March 2025

    The Bronx Does Not Back Down Forum strengthens the collective bond of Bronx based community leaders, organizers, and activists and builds a mobilization plan to support communities in resisting systemic oppression

  • Group of people attending a presentation in a conference room with a woman speaking at the front.

    April 2025

    The Bronx Writes Back Mass Story Lab, a community storytelling project, creates space to listen to and honor the stories of four Bronxites as they share their experiences with the cradle to prison pipeline

    Collaboration with Create Forward

  • People asking youth authors to sign their copies of The Bronx Writes Back at a book launch, with some sitting and others standing in line, at a table with purple tablecloths, bottles of water, and papers, in a well-lit room with artwork on the walls.

    June 2025

    BLOC hosts a book launch for The Bronx Writes Back: The Cradle to Prison Pipeline, an anthology of stories, visual art, and poems written by and for Bronx youth

  • Bus stop advertisement with a graphic of explosions and bottles, with the text "Our futures matter more than their prisons" and smaller text at the bottom.

    July 2025

    “Our futures matter more than their prisons” narrative change campaign launches throughout the Bronx, inspired by conversations at the Mass Story Lab in April 2025

    Creative Director: Beatriz Lozano

YOUTH ACTION COUNCIL

The BLOC’s Youth Action Council (YAC) is a leadership body of the BLOC comprised of Bronx community members interested in ensuring that the work of the BLOC remains true and relevant to the needs of the community.

organization partners

BLOC has also created space for representatives from over 45 community-based organizations and nonprofits to come together and collaborate with community members. The BLOC’s work with organizational partners focuses on youth & workforce development, health & wellness, and housing.

A diverse group of 16 people gathered indoors, posing for a photo in front of balloons arranged in purple, white, and gold colors, celebrating an end of year party.

PRESS COVERAGE

  • A woman is speaking at a podium in front of an audience at The Bronx Writes Back book launch. The table has a purple tablecloth with the words 'Bronx Leadership & Organizing Center' and 'BLOC' written on it, and water bottles are placed on the table.

    Bronx Times

    Bronx authors share stories of surviving “Cradle-to-Prison Pipeline” in new book

    Sadie Brown, June 2025

    Read the article
  • A group of people participating in a protest march on a city street, holding signs advocating to freeze rent now.

    Bronx Times

    Tenants rally for rent freeze ahead of Rent Guidelines Board’s Bronx public hearing

    Emily Swanson, June 2025

    Read the article
  • Three people in a television studio sitting at a round wooden table during a talk show. Behind them are three large screens displaying the word 'Open' with colorful background graphics. The person on the left is a man in a dark blazer and shirt, speaking and gesturing with his hands. The woman in the middle is wearing glasses, a black blazer, and has shoulder-length hair. The man on the right is dressed in a tan blazer, black shirt, and colorful sneakers. The studio has a professional setting with a mix of warm and cool lighting.

    BronxNet

    How the school-to-prison pipeline affects BIPOC students in NYC

    Jonathan Calixto, April 2025

    Watch the Segment
  • A group of people gathered outdoors for a rally, many wearing orange shirts and one person wearing a yellow safety vest, some holding papers, in front of a building with a banner that reads "Building a better Bronx."

    News 12 Long Island

    Rent hike public hearing held at Hostos Community College

    Samantha Chaney & Brittany Cadet, June 2024

    Watch the segment
  • Flyer advertising a Financial Justice Internship program with a QR code, purple and black text, and three young people standing outside.

    Norwood News

    Bronx Leadership & Organizing Center Offers Leadership Program to Bronx Youth with $500 Stipend

    Síle Moloney, April 2024

    Read the article
  • A group of people sitting in chairs in a circle, engaged in a discussion, with a man holding papers smiling in the center.

    Mott Haven Herald

    The Bronx Roars for Housing Rights

    Judith Marks, April 2023

    Read the article
  • A person with a backpack talking to a woman at a booth under a white canopy tent. The booth banner reads 'Bronx Leadership & Organizing Center' and the caption mentions hosting Youth Leadership Day.

    News 12 The Bronx

    Youth leadership day brings community together to reduce violence in the Bronx

    News 12 Staff, August 2022

    Watch the segment
  • Tents with banners displaying 'BRONX HELPERS' at BLOC youth leadership day event.

    BronxNet

    BLOC Youth Leadership Day

    Melody Hicks, August 2022

    Watch the segment