• Black Lives Collective

    Become The Change
    You Want To See

    Join our community efforts in Central, SC

  • Black Lives Collective

    Become The Change
    You Want To See

    Join our community efforts in Central, SC

  • Black Lives Collective

    Become The Change
    You Want To See

    Join our community efforts in Central, SC

Neighbors

Connect with our neighbors, understand their needs and help them find resources to accomplish their goals.

Community

Build connection with businesses and people in our communities and identify ways we can help.

Government

Engage the government to enact change that grows our community.

Stories

Create community stories from the ways we have helped our neighbors.

About our Collective

Mission

Black Lives Collective of Central gives voice and support to our Black Community. We believe that helping this historically marginalized community feel safe and thrive is for the good and benefit of all of Central’s citizenry. That embracing the diversity of our population, especially racial/economic diversity, will be a boon to all endeavors. We will act as a bridge between this community and our local government and businesses in hopes of generating creative and responsible outcomes for all.

Vision

For the sake of our community, confront and remove systemic racism from our local government and authorities within Central, SC

About Us

Black Lives Collective is a local community group in Central, SC focused on communicating and teaching our community about the injustices incurred by the people of color in our country, our region, our state and our city.

We are not a chapter of Black Lives Matter, and since we are not an official organization, we do not accept funds of any kind. Our goal is to be a loosely organized group of individuals who are passionate about the causes and education surrounding the causes of the chapters of Black Lives Matter.

Resources

Neighbor to Neighbor

We’re building trust within our community through BLC membership engagement and outreach by intentionally helping our neighbors when and where we can and assisting with partnerships in our community to solve problems.

Projects we have helped with:

  • Assistance with home repairs
  • Addressing long-standing Mill Pond drainage issues for Moore and Berry Streets
  • Addressing an unkempt lot on Berry Street, present for over a decade
  • Providing resources for neighbors
  • Gentrification meeting to address potential zoning change proposed by town
  • Information sharing and financial assistance for Black Homeowners who may be in arrears in their property taxes.
  • Tenant's Rights and zoning

Community Engagement

BLC believes it is important for governments to foster relationships within the community, however certain neighborhoods or neighbors are often overlooked by local government. We believe gaining the support of local officials that serve in government positions can be achieved through:

  • Understanding how local government operates
  • Knowing who the key people are and building relationships with them
  • Demonstrating how local government and the resident’s goals are aligned

BLC encourages everyone to engage with their local community. We build relationships with our government by attending regular meetings and meeting with officials to share information about BLC’s work and our communities needs.

Town of Central

Pickens County

State of South Carolina

BLC believes in developing strategic partnerships with local groups, businesses and the community at large. It is our belief that there are many programs, groups and businesses in our community that can help us better reach our neighborhood goals. Recently we partnered with the Pickens County NAACP to help the citizens in our town register to vote as well as provide the details for our states historic absentee in person early voting program for 2020. We are also actively engaged with the Town of Central’s new Main Street Administrator to ensure that all businesses and residents programs are represented.

Do you have a business, group or other organization that offers services to the community at large that can assist us in our mission/vision statements? Contact Us

Government Engagement

BLM Protest

In the wake of George Floyd killing, a group of neighbors came together out on the corner of Main and Pepper St in front of Bollick field united to let our town know that we believe as a community that Black Lives Matter Sparked conversations between neighbors with a desire to seek change as we believe protecting the most vulnerable members of our community starts within our town.

Town Council Meetings

Engage local commitees and institutions

  • Police Advisory Board
  • Community Engagement Committee

Vision for the Future

  • Healthy Community/Police Relationship
  • Elect Persons of Color to Town Council, Committees

Stories from our community

Antigone's Story

I consider myself to be a passionate social justice advocate. I aspire to be a community volunteer, where I can share my passion with others to promote an important and positive change within our community.   

Rosa's Story

I decided to join the BLC when I saw two white females showing courage and love while protesting for BLM here in Central. They stood for me and my family and other Blacks/ African Americans.   

Do You Need Help?

Contact us and we can assist you with local community needs.

Subscribe to our Minutes

As residents of Central, SC, we believe in developing a safe and thriving environment for ALL community members, where we can begin to heal as a society, through engaging our town/county/state and shaping its policies and legislation with an understanding that Black Lives Matter.

Our Contact

Edith's Story

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Antigone's Story

I’m Antigone Maes. I consider myself to be a passionate social justice advocate. I aspire to be a community volunteer, where I can share my passion with others to promote an important and positive change within our community. As a second generation Mexican-American, Los Angeles native born and daughter of a single mother, I grew to be familiar with adversity and through this I found a calling to advocate for others. As a first generation college graduate, I broke many cycles in my family. I always knew that education would give me the potential to be successful in ways that my immediate family did not have access to, due to having children and working too many jobs at once. Although I did not have the resources financially to go to school, I decided to work and save up as much as I could to go to college. The advantage I had, and knew from an early age, is to not have a family until I could support us financially. Through the struggle of working and going to school to pay for tuition myself, I discovered a passion and strength I did not know I had in me. In college I had the opportunity to attend social gatherings to protest social injustices that minorities face. During these protests, I found purpose and motivation to fight for the right for equality and social justice.

I recently moved to Central because of Clemson University. My family agreed that this would be a wonderful opportunity to move to a small town where I could grow and thrive. I moved here in April of 2020. Due to the pandemic, I lost my job and found myself finishing my last semester of my Bachelors degree on zoom meetings. Since I no longer had to physically be in class I found myself in a rare opportunity to move across the country to be with my fiance and our precious dog. When I first arrived in Central, I knew that the lack of diversity would be something that I would have to get used to.

During the pandemic, I have found relief in exploring my surroundings with my dog, Bailey. Becoming a first time home owner I began to explore the neighborhood and was met with new friendships, one being Beth, a fellow BLC member. Such a random exploration led to being introduced to BLC and having such a pleasant experience, all from something as simple as walking with my dog. Through BLC I have made strong connections with my neighborhood that make me feel a sense of belonging and it also gives me a feeling of being grounded during this uncertain time.

Being a part of BLC gives me hope that Central will grow into a community where diversity is accepted and where we can all be accepted for who we are, no matter where we are from. BLC, where we fight against injustices and strive to provide resources to empower our community.

Rosa's Story

I have lived in the Central area for 15 years.

I decided to join the BLC when I saw two white females showing courage and love while protesting for BLM here in Central. They stood for me and my family and other Blacks/ African Americans. They were protecting us as Human Beings.

I've been asking myself what my passion is for years, and realized it’s making a difference in my community and helping others the best way I can. Somewhere along the line we've have struggled not to give up and may not see the glimmer of light that is peeking through. I am that light. I have done a lot within my community to build up trust. Proverbs 12: 1 'A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold'. The name that God gave me works! I stand on his Word and his Word alone!