It’s been a minute and in the meantime the world has changed a thousand million times. We are on the cusp of the political left winning City Hall while the far right pushes American democracy to its breaking point. This wild era requires that we face what we have been so we can become what builders of what’s next.

Over the past few years, our work has looked different: less campaign-focused and more about survival, healing, and holding the pieces of our movement through transitions, crises, and grief. We’ve also had to reckon with hard truths about organizational strain and the consequences of unclear governance. These lessons have been humbling and, I hope, catalytic. BMC has always been more than the sum of its programs; instead, it has been a political home, a place where we dared to believe that joy is resistance and care is strategy. Even in our challenges, that spirit has never wavered.

I have been leaning into this question of what BMC is becoming, gathering resources and assessing organizational patterns towards ushering in a new chapter for the organization. This transition moment is about opening space for what’s next, for what is bubbling under the surface.

When I came into the ED role in 2022, I was excited to shift conditions inside to have a powerful impact on the Central Brooklyn community right outside. While I continue to believe wholeheartedly in BMC’s potential for transformative impact, my time leading the organization will intentionally conclude this fall, making room for new leadership to carry the vision forward.

My role now is to help close this chapter of BMC’s story, one I helped bring to life when I started as our Lead Community Organizer nearly 14 years ago. There are many lessons to be shared with a new generation of Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights organizers, and power to be shared with many of you who have contributed your leadership to BMC in the past.

As I move through this transition, I’m committed to keeping you in the loop with regular updates—because everyone who’s been part of this journey deserves to know what’s unfolding and how to be part of what’s next.

I’ll be sharing more this month about the transition structure: how we’re approaching interim governance, the role of staff and board in this next phase, and the support we’re bringing in to hold this question of what BMC is becoming. I want to be transparent not just about my departure, but about the process we’re building to steward this shift with care, clarity, and collective input.

Peace,

Anthonine Pierre

Outgoing BMC Director