Creative Reaction Lab

Overview

Creative Reaction Lab is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Black and Latinx youth to become leaders in designing healthy and racially equitable communities. Founded in response to the social unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, the organization seeks to challenge systemic racial and health inequities by equipping young people with the tools and training necessary to create positive change.

Mission

The mission of Creative Reaction Lab is rooted in the belief that systems of oppression, inequality, and inequity are by design and therefore can be redesigned. The organization aims to educate, train, and challenge youth to become Redesigners for Justice, a new type of civic leader dedicated to co-creating a society centered on equity and justice.

Programs

Creative Reaction Lab offers a variety of education and civic engagement programs tailored for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous youth across the United States. These programs focus on providing youth with consciousness, community, and access to power, enabling them to design interventions that address racial and health inequities.

Key Programs:

• Youth Programs: Equip youth to become civic leaders by designing projects that tackle racial and health inequities.
• Educators Program: Educators learn to implement the organization's framework in their communities, co-designing projects with youth.
• Youth Alumni Development: Alumni continue their work in designing equitable outcomes through advanced training and support.
• Impactful Interventions: Previous projects have included addressing food injustice, increasing racial diversity in education, and tackling voter suppression.

History

Founded in support of the Ferguson uprising, Creative Reaction Lab has evolved to build a youth-led, community-centered movement. The organization has held numerous programs, such as the Design to Better [Our Community] Summer Academy, and has convened youth to develop interventions on issues like gun violence.

Theory of Change

Creative Reaction Lab's theory of change is centered on the empowerment of Black and Latinx youth. By providing them with consciousness, community, and access to historically centered power, the organization believes these young leaders will have the capacity to dismantle existing inequities and co-create a society that values the rights and humanity of all people.

Demographics and Impact

By 2050, Black and Latinx communities are projected to make up nearly 40% of the U.S. population, yet these communities face disproportionate racial and health inequities. Creative Reaction Lab works to address these disparities by mobilizing a new generation of civic leaders. As of its operations, the organization has impacted over 1,117 youth and distributed over $200,000 in funds to support their activities.

Governance

The organization is governed by a board of directors committed to inclusive leadership practices and racial equity. The board ensures diversity of thought and leadership in its recruitment process and reviews policies to ensure transparency and ethics in governance.