BAJI was founded in April 2006 at a critical moment—when communities across the country rose up in mass opposition to harmful immigration legislation being pushed in Congress.

In the Bay Area, Black activists answered that call.

Led by Rev. Kelvin Sauls, a South African immigrant, and Rev. Phillip Lawson, a longtime Civil Rights leader and co-founder of the California Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights, organizers came together to ensure that Black immigrants—and the broader Black community—were not left out of the national conversation on immigration.

BAJI was built from that urgency and that vision.

Our roots are also grounded in the work of the Priority Africa Network (PAN), whose Africa Diaspora Dialogues created space for honest, necessary conversations between African Americans and Black immigrants from across Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

Those dialogues confronted the myths, challenged the divisions, and laid the foundation for deeper understanding across the Black diaspora.

Twenty year later, BAJI continues that work—bringing communities together, building power, and advancing justice for Black immigrants.

MISSION

BAJI fights for the rights of Black migrants and African Americans through power building, legal advocacy, research, policy, and narrative building to improve the conditions of Black communities by advancing racial justice and migrant rights. 

VISION

We imagine a world where Black people are valued, protected, and supported—where our leadership is prioritized, our families are resourced, and our lives are treated with dignity at every stage.

VALUES

We value Black unity, community leadership, and the power of our voices to challenge systemic racism and shape a more just and equitable future for us all.