About

The Black Association of Behavior Analysts

From a Facebook group to a CALL TO ACTION to form an Executive Committee

BABA Board

BABA Organizational Framework

Foundational Principle: Black Liberation

We hold as foundational that centering Blackness is not optional. It is essential to the liberation of our communities, our practices, and our collective futures. We affirm that all work, advocacy, and leadership under our banner must reflect an unwavering commitment to Black liberation in all its intersections. Our mission demands the dismantling of systems that deny Black people our humanity, voice, and freedom, while creating spaces for connection, celebration, and growth.

We recognize that this commitment requires accountability: to one another, to our ancestors, and to those who will follow. Through integrity, collectivism, and action, we reclaim power, honor our roots, and build systems that affirm the brilliance, worth, and dignity of Black people globally.

Framework for Determining Language

1. Centering Blackness as Non-Negotiable
   • All causes we engage with must intersect with the lived realities, liberation, and empowerment of Black individuals and our community.
   • Blackness must be understood intersectionally including and not limited to gender, sexuality, class, neurodivergence, ability, geography, and nationality.
2. Key Language:
   • “We are unapologetically Black-centered.”
   • “Black liberation is liberation for all.”
   • “We stand in solidarity with movements for justice that align with Black freedom and dignity.”
   • “Rooting for Everybody Black” 
3. Intersectionality as a Guiding Lens
   • Causes and issues we speak on must recognize the ways Blackness intersects with other marginalized identities.
   • Prioritize issues that disproportionately impact Black communities (domestic violence, women’s issues, mental health, education access, global conflict, LGBTQIA+ justice, etc.).
4. Verification of Causes: A Three-Point Test
   To ensure alignment with our mission, the organization will verify causes using the following criteria:
   a. Impact on Black Communities:
   • Does this issue directly or disproportionately affect Black individuals, families, or communities?
   • Is there a historical or systemic connection to anti-Blackness?
   • Example: Palestine (oppression and colonialism echoing historical parallels with Black struggles), Domestic Violence (Black women and femmes disproportionately impacted).

b. Alignment with Liberation-Centered Values:

• Does the cause align with principles of equity, justice, and freedom for all marginalized people?
• Example: Women’s Issues (centering Black women’s experiences), Worker’s Rights, or Educational Justice.

c. Potential for Coalition-Building and Solidarity:

• Can our engagement amplify solidarity across movements?
• Is our voice being used to advance justice, not performativity?
• Example: Recognizing global struggles for justice (Palestine), uplifting cross-movement allies, or advocating for systemic reforms.

Key Causes 

Based on the above framework, these are causes that align with our mission:

1. ABA & Community Care – Promoting culturally relevant, ethical, and high-quality behavior analytic services for Black communities. Recognizing the impact of health disparities and social determinants of health, we will continue to advocate for advancement in this area. 
2. Abolition & Criminal Justice Reform – Addressing mass incarceration, police brutality, and the prison-industrial complex.
3. Domestic and Sexual Violence and Gender-Based Justice – Centering Black women, femmes, and LGBTQIA+ survivors disproportionately affected by violence and neglect. 
4. Displacement & Gentrification-Addressing systems and practices that violently remove or displace members of the Black and indigenous community.
5. Education Access & Equity – Advocating for Black students to receive culturally affirming, inclusive, and accessible education.
6. International Liberation – Recognizing the shared struggles of colonial violence, displacement, and systemic oppression. This includes Congo, Sudan, Tigray, Kenya, Palestine, and any community undergoing acts of violence.
7. Natural Disasters & Environmental Justice – Recognizing the disproportionate impact of climate change, pollution, and natural disasters on Black and Indigenous communities.
8. Reparations- Supporting the active and intentional restoration and promotion of economic, social, and political equity for Black communities.  
9. Socioeconomic Justice & Unhoused Advocacy – Addressing the systemic causes of economic instability and homelessness in Black communities, advocating for housing as a human right and equitable access to resources.
10. Women’s Rights & Reproductive Justice – Addressing the racial disparities in maternal health, reproductive autonomy, and healthcare access.
11. Worker Justice & Economic Liberation – Advocating for fair wages, protections against worker exploitation, and the closing of racial wealth gaps.
12. Youth Justice- Addressing the ongoing rise of violence and threats of violence to Black youth. This includes the threat of violence to Black Trans youth.