Application Guide
How to Apply for DIGITAL STRATEGIST LEAD
at Movement For Black Lives
🏢 About Movement For Black Lives
The Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) is a unique ecosystem uniting over 150 organizations to advance Black liberation through abolition, anti-capitalism, and radical Black Queer Feminisms. Working here means joining a collective that prioritizes grassroots power, intersectionality, and transformative justice—not just reform. You'll collaborate with movement leaders to shift narratives and build concrete wins for Black communities.
About This Role
As Digital Strategist Lead, you'll architect high-impact digital campaigns that reach Black audiences and build narrative power across email, social media, and events. This role is pivotal in amplifying the collective voice of M4BL's member organizations, coordinating rapid response tactics, and strengthening the digital infrastructure of the movement. Your work will directly support on-the-ground organizing and policy wins.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with a morning huddle to coordinate rapid response to a news cycle, then shift to leading a strategy call with member organizations on an upcoming digital week of action. Afternoon could involve analyzing email open rates from a campaign launch, updating the content calendar, and training a partner org on using Every Action CRM for their list. You'd end the day by drafting social copy for a solidarity action and reviewing analytics dashboards.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Movement For Black Lives Is Looking For
- A digital strategist with 3-5 years of experience in values-driven organizations (nonprofits, advocacy, or movement groups) who understands the nuance of abolitionist, anti-capitalist messaging.
- Expert-level proficiency in social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, TikTok) and analytics tools (Sprout Social, HootSuite), with a track record of growing engaged audiences and managing crises.
- Skilled in project management (Asana, Every Action CRM) and able to coordinate complex digital events and campaigns across multiple teams and member organizations.
- Deeply aligned with M4BL's principles, including Black Queer Feminism, and experienced in membership organizing or network development within Black communities.
📝 Tips for Applying to Movement For Black Lives
In your resume and cover letter, explicitly name your experience with abolitionist or anti-capitalist frameworks—don't assume it's implied. Use language from M4BL's mission (e.g., 'narrative power,' 'Black Queer Feminisms').
Provide concrete examples of digital campaigns you've led that reached Black audiences, including metrics like engagement rates, list growth, or event attendance. Avoid generic 'managed social media' claims.
Highlight any work you've done with coalitions or networks of organizations, as M4BL values collaboration over solo output. Show how you've navigated consensus-building and rapid response.
Research M4BL's recent campaigns (e.g., #DefundThePolice, #BREATHEAct) and reference them in your cover letter or interview to show you understand their strategic priorities.
Tailor your application to emphasize your experience with digital event coordination (webinars, virtual actions) and member capacity-building—two key responsibilities in the job description.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Express your personal alignment with M4BL's values of abolition, anti-capitalism, and Black Queer Feminism, and explain how your digital strategy work has advanced similar principles.", 'Describe a specific digital campaign you led that built narrative power for Black communities, including how you measured impact and adapted to feedback from grassroots partners.', "Show your understanding of the balance between rapid response (e.g., police brutality cases) and long-term narrative building, and how you'd prioritize in a movement context.", "Mention your experience in capacity-building or training others, as the role supports member organizations—provide an example of how you've strengthened partners' digital skills."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read M4BL's 'Vision for Black Lives' platform (2016 and updates) to understand their policy demands and narrative frames.
- → Review M4BL's recent digital campaigns, especially around the 2020 uprisings and the #BREATHEAct, to see their tone, tactics, and audience engagement.
- → Study the structure of M4BL's ecosystem—member organizations like Black Voters Matter, The Justice Collaborative, and local groups—to understand the coalition dynamics.
- → Familiarize yourself with critiques of 'digital saviorism' and how M4BL navigates technology ethics (e.g., data privacy, platform dependency).
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't use corporate or 'growth hacking' language—M4BL is a movement, not a startup. Avoid buzzwords like 'scale,' 'optimize,' or 'ROI' without grounding them in social impact.
- Don't treat this role as just a social media job. The job description emphasizes strategy, capacity-building, and coalition coordination—show you can think beyond posting.
- Don't ignore the political commitments of the role. Avoid centering 'nonpartisan' or 'neutral' language; M4BL explicitly aligns with abolition and anti-capitalism.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Movement For Black Lives!