Today we’d like to introduce you to Macire Aribot, Nassim Ashford and Fatoumata Fofana.
Our journey began as friends in high school, where we attended Arabia Mountain High School in Lithonia, GA. Through the years, our friendship has been based on the yearning need to uplift our community and improve the lives of our community members. As we journeyed on to college, Macire Aribot and Nassim Ashford at Mercer University and Fatoumata Fofana at Georgia State University, we were able to explore different interests such as global development, global health, politics, public policy, journalism, and more. This inspired our desire to make a global impact on our society while being agents of change and spreading awareness about the issues we believe are important to our communities. We ultimately decided to come together to found NoirUnited International.
NoirUnited International was founded to address to root causes of the structural challenges and injustices that Black people face globally every day. We hope to foster cross-cultural connections amongst the African/Black diaspora, raise awareness of the issues Black communities around the world are still trying to overcome and find comprehensive and community-based solutions to these problems, together. Overall, our goal is to reimagine the power of Black Unity.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Starting a non-profit organization as young professionals is never easy. Considering that we are a fairly new organization, we expect to encounter challenges as we continue to grow and expand. Due to the current global pandemic, we have had to learn how to readjust quickly to work productively as a team, while also prioritizing the safety of our team members.
NoirUnited International – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
NoirUnited International is a non-profit organization that focuses on uplifting and empowering the global Black community. We plan to do this by improving the social, economic, and political stature of people of African descent through service, education, and cross-cultural exposure. We were inspired to do this because we recognize the disenfranchisement of the African/Black diaspora and how we are all fighting for our dignity and our right to complete freedom. As an organization, we plan to address key issues that the Black diaspora faces globally while taking into consideration the different stories and challenges that vary across individual communities.
Alongside addressing these challenges, our hope is to inspire unity amongst Black people and bridge the cultural gap between our communities. There is so much to learn about our history, our culture, and our shared struggles. At NoirUnited, we believe in the power of Black unity and how it will enable us to define a better and more equitable future for ourselves.
We are most proud of our initiative to raise money to support Black-owned businesses in Atlanta, GA. We were able to raise over six thousand dollars for four businesses that were affected by COVID-19 and the recent protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless Black lives that were lost due to police brutality and white supremacy. The businesses we donated to were Panthers Den, Blaxican, Gilly Brew Bar, and BIOBIO The Beauty Place. Being able to assist these businesses during these difficult times is something we are very proud of and we plan to continue our support of Black-owned businesses everywhere.
Contact Info:
- Website: noirunited.org
- Phone: 678-379-7683
- Email: noirunitedinternational@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noirunited/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NoirUnited-International-Inc-110455970716375
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoirUnitedIntl
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
