we create ourselves. we create our belonging. we create our freedom.

Named in honor of Hodari Blue, a beloved being, creatrix, organizer, and community builder who intentionally and consistently supported the journeys of their Trans and Queer kin, the Blue Roots Residency (BRR) is a two-month guaranteed-income and wayfinding program for Black Trans and Gender Nonconforming creators.

Rooted in URE's Bay Area and Los Angeles Chapters, the BRR prioritizes BTGNC kin impacted by anti-Trans legislation and unsafe living situations. Participants receive housing, stipends, transportation support, and space to rest, heal, and create, with support for permanent relocation if desired.

The program consists of an eight-week journey in which BTGNC siblings ("Passengers") are matched with a "Station"; an individual willing to offer a room in their home free of charge while participants engage in community building, wayfinding, and grounding.

Passengers participate in weekly virtual and in-person heart circles led by circle keepers trained by, and/or held by, those of Indigenous descent. Together, we focus on acknowledging, feeling, and releasing definitions imposed upon us by the world at large, and transmuting that energy to define and create ourselves.

We also seek to provide eight weeks of mental health support from healers trained in anticarceral care, as well as connections to community third spaces rooted in Los Angeles and the Bay Area through both group outings and individual exploration.

Each passenger will be paired with a Support Sib, a BTGNC community member willing to listen and offer insight from their own lived experiences. 

 The fellowship cycle culminates in a witnessing ceremony where passengers celebrate alongside the broader communities we have built.

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