
WHO KEEPS US SAFE?
On the first day of the BOLD National Gathering in February 2020, just three weeks before major cities across the United States shut down, Serena Sebring addressed the group of over 160 young Black leaders. She was flanked by 17 BOLD participants across a spectrum of gender, age, and ability in green shirts — a team named the Dora Milaje after the Wakanda army inspired by the all-female African military corps of Benin, West Africa.
Sebring, a BOLD alumni and the Executive Director of North Carolina Bluprint, had developed this operational framework and customized it for the National Gathering. After getting the participant’s verbal agreement to the ground rules, she led the room in an electric chant that reverberated through the walls
Who Keeps Us Safe?
We Keep Us Safe!
The Dora Milaje came together for the weekend to take responsibility for holding the gathering in a container of safety, security, and care to support self-governance. Tasked with supporting the boundaries of the space and de-escalating any conflict situations that might arise, the Dora Milaje also planned to minimize external threats, including any unnecessary encounters with law enforcement (such as in the case of a medical emergency).