John,

James Jones built something no one else had: one of the only competitive all-Black boys gymnastics academies in the country.

Since 2019, James Jones Gymnastics Academy has been a home for more than 500 kids, most of them young Black boys, to move, learn, grow strong, and find joy. James made the program free for most families, relying on donations and community support to keep it going.

Now the gym is about to shut its doors. Not because of money. Not because of a lack of interest. But because of zoning restrictions blocking the gym from relocating. This isn’t just red tape. It is a direct threat to Black play, Black joy, and Black futures.

The lease in their current location is up on August 1 – meaning if they’re unable to secure a new location, the gym will be forced to close.

This is exactly why we launched the Black Play Matters campaign. Because every child deserves room to grow and space to dream.

Can you chip in today to help this Black gymnastics academy secure a new location? We’ve linked their GoFundMe below. They have an August 1st deadline and they are so close to hitting their goal.

DONATE TO THE GOFUNDME

James opened this gym because no one else would. He remembers being a kid, watching other children do flips through the windows of a gym his family couldn’t afford. He built a different story. One rooted in access, in equity, in community.

He isn’t giving up, and neither are we.

Help protect what he built. Help keep the doors open for the next generation of Black boys to fly. Donate to James Jones Gymnastics Academy’s GoFundMe today.

In solidarity,

Black Lives Matter

Our grassroots movement is pushing for Black liberation every single day. We are striving to create a world where Black people do so much more than just survive. It’s time we thrive.

As an organization one of our biggest hurdles is consistency.

A recurring contribution of anything you can afford goes a long way as we plan for the months, years, and even decades ahead. This is the most effective way for small-dollar donors (like you) to power our Black liberation work.

Will you make a recurring contribution of $5 or more today so that we can keep building momentum for our movement?

DONATE MONTHLY

Black Lives Matter imagines a world where Black people across the diaspora thrive, experience joy, and are not defined by their struggles. In pursuing liberation, we envision a future fully divested from police, prisons, and all punishment paradigms and which invests in justice, joy, and culture. Email is the most important way we keep in touch with our supporters. But we know there's a lot going on. If you’d like to receive fewer emails, you can do so by clicking here.

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