Six Years of Leaning Into Joy

Dear Community,

Every year June 1st marks the first day of our annual giving campaign. This year, we celebrate six years of positive community engagement as a provider of high-impact antiracism education and we are raising $50,000. As Founder/CEO I can still hardly believe all that this small (yet mighty) organization has accomplished in a such a short time. It simultaneously feels like I have been engaged in this work for forever, and like it was just yesterday that I launched our very first summer program: The Workforce Development, Entrepreneur College Preparatory Program. 
 

 

From day one, community, youth engagement, and equity was at the center of this work. Six years later, our mission and vision has grown deeper, stronger and more impactful. However, I have to admit seeing the impact of this work has not been easy. Building a non-profit from the ground up is hard work. In a world that doesn’t value Black life and a sector that is intentionally opaque and inaccessible, it has at times felt like an uphill battle. As as Black disabled creative, feelings of insecurity and imposter abound and the fruits of my labor aren’t easily seen. Moreover, a global pandemic shifted the world and the scope of our work, bringing a global cataclysm of trauma and fatigue. Through it all, 540WMain has weathered the storms and leaned into joy.

As an organization, our theme for 2022 has been inspiring a future beyond, and acknowledging the transformative impact of antiracist education. We curated high impact antiracist, accessible, and compelling digital and virtual content.  We center Black and Indigenous thinkers and creators and our educators and our content provide the tools needed to dismantle racism at personal, institutional, and policy levels. Now, we are a pivotal growth point, and are asking the community to support us in growing from a grassroots organization to a transformational leader in the antiracism and e-Learning space!
 

What you can expect

We will be celebrating and sharing testimonials about the impact of our work all month long. You can watch the testimonial of one of our youth ambassadors Linden Burack. Linden is graduating from the School of the Arts and attending Northeastern University.
 

 

On Tuesday, June 14th

we will be at Three Heads Brewing for a night of fundraising. live music, beer, and networking in collaboration of BeKind Tuesdays by Stomping Ground, the evening will include ASL interpreting for accessibility. No registration required.

 

Then on June 25th

at 3pm we host our 6th-anniversary fundraising event with Katboocha. We are very excited to be collaborating with Katboocha for this casual mingling event with a signature new  kombucha flavor: Strawberry Basil Limeade and food by Chef Brian Arliss. This event is ASL interpreted & open to our community supporters of all ages. Tickets can be purchased here.
 

 

About Calvin Eaton

 

(he/his/him) Calvin Eaton is a disabled community educator, content creator, and social entrepreneur, whose area of expertise includes antiracism, equity, justice, instructional design, and program development. In 2016 Mr. Eaton founded 540WMain, Inc. a virtual non-profit organization and antiracist education brand that promotes justice for all.

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Calvin Eaton

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