We recently connected with Lukee Forbes and have shared our conversation below.
Lukee, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I founded We Are Revolutionary as a response to the deep adversities I faced throughout my life. My challenges began at a young age when my parents had me as teenagers, and I endured an abusive father. From age five, I lived apart from my parents, and when I was 13, I moved in with my mother, who was diagnosed with AIDS and cancer. Struggling with these issues, I began to run away and skip school, which led to my placement under Persons In Need of Supervision (PINS) and later probation when I kept running away and skipping school. Despite these interventions, I continued to do the same, resulting in a warrant for my arrest. Forced into hiding, I ended up associating with negative peers who were involved in a robbery. Although I was not directly involved in the assault, I was convicted and spent seven years in prison. These experiences, coupled with the murder of my father in Panama when I was 19, and my mother’s death later that next year while I incarcerated helped fuel my resolve to address systemic trauma and injustices. Together with Qubilah, who also experienced significant adversity, I established “We Are Revolutionary” to tackle the systemic issues affecting our community and prevent others from suffering similar fates.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
We Are Revolutionary (WaR) is a fiscally sponsored non-profit organization based in Albany, New York. Founded in 2022, we seek to address Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), oppression, and violence that leads to disengagement with the political process. WaR provides community members with political education and an understanding of systems that perpetuate their disenfranchisement in the United States and beyond. Our approach is unique. Therefore, we would like to request support for comprehensive initiatives designed to empower our members with a deep understanding of the political process and their duty towards civic engagement.
Focusing on ACEs is crucial because they’re often disregarded in this capacity and, thus, have historically been unmet and overlooked. This can significantly impact a person’s worldview and participation in processes that shape their communities and societies. Supporting the organization will bolster our efforts to provide effective programs and greater opportunities for the communities we serve.
Our organization allows stakeholders to help others on a transnational level. From the individual to entire families, we empower members of marginalized communities to become civically-engaged peer advocates. In many cases we travel with members to new environments (like Cuba and Jamaica) to expand their political education while providing humanitarian support and/or having immersive experiences. We do this using our Immersive Revolutionary Family Retreat, the Revolutionary Art Program, the Legal Eagle Program, and The Real Adventure is Located Outside (TRAILO) initiative. We also host Sage the City, a one-day festival focused on wellness and its connections to civic engagement.
We Are Revolutionary was founded by Lukee Forbes and Q’ubilah Sales in partnership with the Hudson Catskill Housing Coalition (HCHC), a BIPOC-led initiative that empowers low-income and public housing tenants to fight for housing justice. WaR Executive Director Lukee Forbes worked as a community organizer, civil rights coordinator, and campaign manager for four years at HCHC. Lukee, who was incarcerated at the age of 15 and served seven years before litigating his own appeal, and Q’ubilah, who faced dynamic family trauma, were driven to establish the organization by their shared passion for giving voices to the lived experiences of others. This has positioned the organization to address the many unique challenges facing the Albany area and communities across the world that will experience similar challenges.
With funder support, we’ve expanded our operations by hiring two paid interns and a part-time employee. We’ve also established pivotal relationships with fellow transnational organizations. In the future, we’re implementing a fellowship program to continue developing emerging revolutionists. These examples are just the beginning of the work we’ll do. Your partnership can elevate our efforts, and we hope to establish a great relationship with your organization.
In Gratitude,
Lukee Forbes, Co-Founder & Executive Director
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
One story that illustrates our resilience is how, since our launch, we have consistently achieved our goal of engaging and activating entire families in the political process. A notable example is one of our first members from the TRAILO program, who, after initially joining us, was hired on as an organizer. This transition highlights our commitment to peer advocacy and demonstrates our ability to turn individual challenges into collective victories. Their journey from participant to organizer reflects the core of our mission and underscores the impact of our efforts in empowering and mobilizing our community.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
If not for partners like the Hudson Catskill Housing Coalition and North Star, “We Are Revolutionary” might have remained just an idea. Thanks to their support, we secured initial seed funding to launch our work. This success helped us attract further funding. Now, we’re engaging community members and seeking direct donations from monthly donors to sustain our efforts beyond grants.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wearerevolutionary.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearerevolutionaryny?igsh=MW0yOGY2ZWhuMmpsag==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088280496001&mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Head shot
https://www.instagram.com/ar__zee?igsh=eDAydGc5emxkdWNw