Reston Black Focus: The Mission
According to the Reston Black Focus, they believed that in order for Reston to be a successful town, the Black community needed to feel supported. It was necessary for Black history and Black culture to be known. In their mission statement, they make clear that in their efforts to keep their culture, they were not going to be doing it to keep communities separate. They compare it to how communities like the Jewish, Irish, or Italian communities perserve their culture and identity, they wanted to do the same. However, to anything that would continue to enforce racism and inequity, they would speak up against it. The Reston Black Focus did not want to be another formal organization, they said there was no need for memberships, just a simple newsletter subscription to anyone who was interested in the many activities that would be hosted by the Reston Black Focus, as well as any concerns that may arise within the community.
The Reston Black Focus would send newsletter to people who signed up to be a part of the many social events they would hold throughout the year. These events ranged from having a movie presentation, book discussions, game nights, children's events, and even events for teenagers. These events were to help the Black community in Reston stay connected to one another. This is how the Reston Black Focus thought to preserve Black culture.
By: Hercilia Vasquez-Flores