Building the Beloved Community Across the Diaspora**
The Five Bricks Initiative is an economic development vision of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference that seeks to reconnect Black Americans with the global African diaspora through commerce, entrepreneurship, and community exchange. The program recognizes that the skill, creativity, and ingenuity found within the communities we serve can play a direct role in strengthening economic opportunity throughout the diaspora, especially in countries that have not yet experienced full economic development.
The initiative begins with coffee, one of the most recognizable commodities in the world. Our first point of partnership is the nation of Burundi, a country with extraordinary potential and a remarkable coffee crop. Burundi represents what many nations across the diaspora face: tremendous natural resources and gifted people, yet limited access to global markets. Five Bricks aims to change that by creating direct trade relationships that benefit communities on both sides of the ocean.
Young entrepreneurs in the United States will come to their local SCLC chapter, receive five bricks of coffee at a time, sell them to consumers, and use their earnings to purchase their next set. This creates a cycle of economic activity that supports families abroad while building opportunity and financial confidence for young people at home. With each sale, the program strengthens the bond between the diaspora and encourages shared prosperity.
Training and certification will be provided through the SCLC National Convention and through chapter based programs supported by the national office. Entrepreneurs will learn the story of the countries they serve, the values of the program, the fundamentals of business, and the role they play in building the Beloved Community. Consistent training ensures accountability, quality, and integrity in how the product is represented and how the partnership is understood.
What makes Five Bricks especially powerful is the transparency of the work. Supporters and participants will see the entire process unfold. They will see SCLC secure suppliers, arrange shipping, build logistics, prepare warehousing, and develop packaging. They will see real time problem solving, real time growth, and a demonstration of economic cooperation across continents. This creates not only opportunity but also a model that can be expanded to other goods and other countries throughout the diaspora.
As the program grows, SCLC plans to expand beyond coffee into additional areas of trade, including rare earth minerals, merchandise, artisanal goods, and other products that allow communities across the diaspora to benefit from markets in the United States. The goal is simple. To build a clear and dignified pathway for economic exchange, and to demonstrate that when communities across the world work together, each brick creates a stronger foundation for all of us.
Five Bricks is more than a program. It is a bridge. It is a statement of faith in who we are as a global people, and a commitment to build opportunities that connect us to our shared future. Through this initiative, SCLC invites the diaspora to join us in creating a Beloved Community where economic opportunity is shared, cultivated, and celebrated across the world.
