The political and legal landscape for Black organizing is shifting beneath our feet. Over the last few years, we've witnessed extreme attempts to undermine our fight for liberation and the safety of our communities through increased militarization and police funding, abuse of Black people’s environment through the creation of data centers and disenfranchisement of Black farmers, systematic criminalization of Black organizers, attacks on policy schemes like diversity, equity, and inclusion, and threats to movement infrastructure as a whole.
While we know these attacks are not new, we also recognize that this moment calls on all of us to double down on our commitment to building people power and political power. This means organizing in our local communities, understanding the terrain before us, rigorously building our legal and strategic toolkits, and identifying lessons from the past to guide us toward the future.
In response to this moment of rising authoritarianism and emboldened white supremacy, Law for Black Lives is embarking on a year-long, multi-city Power Building Tour beginning this June. Throughout the tour, we'll convene movement lawyers, legal workers, organizers, and movement partners to connect, strategize, and collectively prepare for what comes next — and collaboratively determine how a movement lawyering ecosystem can best show up to support the work on the ground.
Each stop on the tour will include training and fellowship spaces where we can learn from one another, deepen relationships, and sharpen our political and organizing practice. We will also host a space for legal and movement practitioners to explore the strategies, political lessons, and legal approaches that can strengthen our organizing and support our communities in this moment, using Lawyering for Liberation as a grounding tool and point of reflection.
Check out the upcoming cities and dates below to see where we're headed and how you can plug in. We will continue our Tour into 2027! If you would like us to come to your city, please fill out the form below.
We know the road ahead will require all of us. From all of us at Law for Black Lives, thank you for being in community with us.
New Orleans, Louisiana. The Louisiana Slave Revolt of 1811. Congo Square. The New Orleans Tribune, the nation's first Black daily newspaper. Black suffrage activism of the 1860s. Plessy v. Ferguson. Ruby Bridges and school desegregation in 1960. The Black Panther Party and the Desire Standoff in 1970.
When we talk about the Black Radical Tradition, we have to talk about New Orleans’ contributions to the Black freedom struggle.
This is a city where Black people have come together and led the effort to rebuild their neighborhoods, fight for justice, and preserve their cultural history in the face of organized abandonment after environmental disaster. That continues to press for justice and self-determination in the face of occupation, a hostile political climate, and state violence. Revolutionary stamina is threaded into the fabric of this city, and Black folks in New Orleans continue to show us what it means to resist oppression, keep each other safe, and carve out a path to Black liberation.
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This October, The Power Building Tour stops in New Orleans. While on the ground, we'll convene local organizers, movement partners, and legal workers to examine New Orleans' organizing landscape and envision how a movement-aligned legal infrastructure can best support local organizers and movement organizations in their continued fight for liberation on an ever changing terrain.
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Registration is now live! We can't wait to see you there!
Due to limited capacity, registration does not guarantee approval to attend. To keep us connected, you will need to join Circle, Law for Black Lives’ new online community, to RSVP for all events.
CITIES & DATES:
Baltimore, MD
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Philadelphia, PA
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Chicago, IL
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New Orleans, LA
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026 at 5:30pm
Roundtable Discussion:
Building Local Power to Meet the Moment
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Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026 at 5:30pm
Training: Strengthening Relationships & Community Defense Infrastructure
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Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026 at 5:30pm
Game Night!
Interested in knowing more about the cities we’re visiting, or know of any other cities doing powerful movement lawyering work? Let us know!
