Black Student Leadership Network
Black Student Leadership Network (BSLN) was established to create a network of Black student leaders organizing and advocating on their campuses and in their communities. BSLN offers college students an enriching opportunity for mentorship, organizing skill-building, and collective learning that supports both personal growth and public impact.
Timeline:
Application Deadline: March 1, 2026
Application Decision Communicated: March 15, 2026
Intent to accept cohort invitation due: March 22, 2026
Cohort Begins: May 2026
Cohort Ends: May 2027
Interested in bringing BSLN to your campus? For more information about BSLN, interested college and university administrators can email Student & Youth Organizing Manager Tiffany Brooks.
Core Components
BSLN Convening
Held annually on CDF’s Alex Haley Farm, our BSLN Convening provides students with space to develop lifelong connections with fellow student organizers from across the country. Attendees engage in thoughtful and enriching training on how to lead in community organizing, strategy development and implementation, public policy, and social justice spaces in their campus and local communities.
Fellowship Program
The BSLN Fellowship Program offers an enriching opportunity for college students to engage and learn more about community organizing and public policy. Over a transformative year-long hybrid journey, Campus Ambassadors and Program Fellows from campuses across the nation engage in interactive trainings on organizing, develop strategic initiatives to implement and transform their campuses, and build a community of support among peers.
Shaping Public Narrative
Join us in championing a powerful movement dedicated to equipping the present generation of Black leaders. Alongside our transformative Conference and Fellowship Program, BSLN participants can collaborate with BSLN Alumni, CDF Freedom Schools® sites, and influential contemporary Black leaders. Serving as invaluable historians, mentors, and strategic allies, they walk alongside and inspire students within the BSLN Network. Together, we’re building a legacy of empowered advocates, ensuring that the voices of tomorrow are heard today and that they are empowered to unleash the joy in growing up.