Alicia Garza, a Black Lives Matter co-creator, has launched Black Futures Lab (BFL), a new mobilization effort that will engage African-Americans, legislators and community organizations in an effort to build political power and push for policies that will help strengthen Black communities.

According to a press release sent to EBONY, Garza launched the effort in partnership with Demos, Color of Change, Center for Third World Organizing, Socialalnaitica Research and the Tides Foundation.

“If we’ve learned anything from this past election, it’s that Black folks drive the progressive political power in this country, but rarely benefit from the fruits of our labor. Today, we are launching the Black Futures Lab as a way to mobilize around our needs, hopes and dreams,” said Garza, founder of The Black Futures Lab. “For too long, people have spoken for us and perpetuated false representations of the issues that drive our votes.”

The Black Census project, a national data collection effort designed to hear directly from 200,000 African-American citizens in 20 states, will serve as the BFL’s first initiative. Those surveyed will have the opportunity to speak about issues that directly impact them in their communities.

“For a country built on the exclusion of Black votes, the Black Census Project is a vital step towards asserting the power of our community’s voices in an era where our president is leading a white nationalist movement against us,” said Rashad Robinson, executive director of Color of Change.” Never before has there been such a concerted effort to survey the concerns of Black voters and shore up Black political power.”