Defend Our Kin
A Reproductive Justice leadership development cohort for Black women and folks interested in organizing and community activism. Sick and tired of being sick and tired? Stand with us. Our 2025 cohort applications are now closed, but stay tuned here for more information in the beginning of 2026.
What is Defend Our Kin?
This year, we're launching a new leadership development program, Defend Our Kin, which focuses on teaching cohort members how to use Reproductive Justice in the context of their organizing efforts and acts of community care.
The Defend Our Kin leadership development cohort is an 8-week program that equips 10 emerging Black leaders from each of our cities (Greater Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland) with resources and action-oriented tools to heighten their organizing effort for greater impact, using a Reproductive Justice-centered approach.
The cohort’s curriculum focuses on how to:
• Effectively organize friends and family to become more politically informed.
• Utilize Reproductive Justice as an organizing framework.
• Use actionable tools to generate activism in your personal lives and in your community.
Each city-based cohort (Pittsburgh Philadelphia, and Cleveland) will complete a community-serving impact project. The cohort has autonomy in the project development, which provides opportunity to gain real-world experience, utilizing the information they learned in the cohort.
Defend Our Kin equips cohort participants with the language, tools, and community to confront structural barriers rooted in anti-Black and misogynistic oppression.
The Defend Our Kin leadership development cohort is an 8-week program that equips 10 emerging Black leaders from each of our cities (Greater Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland) with resources and action-oriented tools to heighten their organizing effort for greater impact, using a Reproductive Justice-centered approach.
The cohort’s curriculum focuses on how to:
• Effectively organize friends and family to become more politically informed.
• Utilize Reproductive Justice as an organizing framework.
• Use actionable tools to generate activism in your personal lives and in your community.
Each city-based cohort (Pittsburgh Philadelphia, and Cleveland) will complete a community-serving impact project. The cohort has autonomy in the project development, which provides opportunity to gain real-world experience, utilizing the information they learned in the cohort.
Defend Our Kin equips cohort participants with the language, tools, and community to confront structural barriers rooted in anti-Black and misogynistic oppression.
What is a Kin Defender?
A Kin Defender is someone who is fiercely community-driven and community-centered. They are folks who continuously stand for advancing justice, listen to and address the needs of their fellow community members, and dedicate themselves towards pushing for collective liberation.
2025 Cohort Applications Closed!
Defend Our Kin: For the Culture We Deserve.
A 'Kin Defender,' by our definition, is a community-driven, centered, and focused person who stands for justice, listens to and addresses the needs of community members, and moves toward our collective liberation. Is this you, or someone you know? We welcome applicants who are Black community leaders, organizers from mission-aligned organizations, and community members interested in acquiring community organizing skills, deepening their understanding of Reproductive Justice, and co-creating sustained solutions that help our communities thrive.
