About Us
Building in solidarity with Black & Brown youth of Winston-Salem since 2011!
​Our Story
Lit City began its journey of solidarity with Black & Brown youth of Winston-Salem in 2011. From that time, to the present, we have worked with thousands of young people, their schools, families, and communities. We have never viewed ourselves as saviors coming to "civilize" so-called "at-risk youth." We reject saviorhood, and attempt to embody what It means to be a good neighbors who participate in the village work of helping at-promise students come alive to their identity, purpose, destiny, and power. Our name, Lit City, was inspired by the verse from sacred scripture that speaks of a shining city atop a hill. For us, it's less about being on a "hill", and more about being a light in the trenches of our city's youth culture. In the words of ancestor Ella Baker, we believe that If you "give [young] people light, they will find the way."
Our Programs
LIT City U
Interested in bringing our transformative program to your school? Lit City U partners with local schools to deliver impactful youth development, academic enrichment, and social consciousness education. Let's help students build their power!
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Freedom Rides
The Freedom Ride is a local pilgrimage that explores the untold stories of Black faith, courage, creativity, & power-building in the face of oppression. Quiet as kept, Black Winston-Salem has a rich and beautiful tradition of resistance. We must recover this history to work more effectively for healing & justice in the present. Alongside our sibling org, Drum Majors Alliance, lit city has facilitated Freedom Rides since 2012.
LIT City Mentoring
Lit City does mentoring/advocacy work because we believe it takes a village to raise and defend our children. We screen, train, & match faith-rooted, compassionate & conscious adults to be "big sibs/bros/sisters" (mentors) in the lives of Black & Brown youth!
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