An Initiative by Conversations in Color
The Tapestry of Black Voices Awards
2026 Program Presentation
start
Why This Event Matters
From hush harbors to hashtags...
Conversation has always been our survival. When we were forbidden to gather, to teach each other, share information, and encourage one another, we still found a way to come together. Centuries later… When we needed community and counsel, we turned to barbershops, porches, and family kitchens. Coming together. Conversation. Connection. That is how we made progress.
About the Tapestry of Black Voices Awards
/ Our Vision/
The Tapestry of Black Voices Awards is more than an award show. It is a celebration woven from the everyday brilliance of our people. We honor the voices that shape our neighborhoods: the teachers, the business owners, the artists, and the organizers who move our communities forward.
Each story adds a new thread to our shared history and reminds us that the soul of the Black experience lives in everyday people, in voices that go unheard and in conversations that keep us connected. This event is our way of saying, We see you. We honor you. We thank you. Together, we weave a tapestry that preserves our past and shapes our future.
How It Works | The Process
Story Submission & Review: Community members submit 2–7-minute recorded conversations, which are reviewed by a panel of judges for creativity, authenticity, and impact. Virtual Awards Experience: A Juneteenth livestream celebration featuring storytelling, art, and community voices, where category winners are announced and honored in recognition of Black history, culture, and collective progress. Beyond the Event: Finalists and winners become part of a growing network of storytellers and ambassadors who continue sharing conversations that uplift and connect our communities.
Categories Overview
Entries Accepted: May 1–30, 2026
Select a category to learn more.
HBCU & BSU Conversations
Threads of our brilliance.
Threads of our stories.
Black-Owned Brilliance
Our Future: Gen Z Speaks
Community Conversations
Generational Wealth & Wellness
It’s Good to Be Black
The Gumbo Pot
Ways to Get Involved
Help Us Amplify the Voices That Build Our Communities
Become a Partner
Become a Sponsor
The Tapestry of Black Voices Awards is powered by collaboration. There are many ways to be part of this celebration of culture, community, and connection.
Let’s build something lasting together, because partnerships extend beyond one event and create opportunities for shared campaigns, campus outreach, and community programs.
Support representation, strengthen visibility, and invest in community media. Each sponsorship level offers meaningful recognition and engagement.
Join as a Brand Ambassador
Submit a Conversation Entry
Ambassadors amplify our message online, help share stories, and build excitement leading up to the awards.
Record a 2–7 minute conversation that highlights the voices or stories in your community. Invite friends, classmates, co-workers, or family to create an entry together.
There’s a place for every voice in this tapestry.
Partner With CIC
Partnership Pathways
Community & Nonprofit Partners
Campus & Education Partners
Advance shared goals through outreach, resource sharing, and community engagement that uplifts local voices and stories.
Empower student storytellers by promoting the Awards across campus, sharing opportunities with student groups, and encouraging conversation entries.
Building Community. Sharing Purpose.
Partnership is a no-cost way to support the Tapestry of Black Voices Awards by helping us reach more students, storytellers, and community voices. Partners collaborate with CIC through outreach, engagement, and shared mission, while sponsorship provides expanded visibility and recognition.
Cultural & Creative Collaborators
Collaborate on storytelling projects, creative engagement ideas, or cultural initiatives that highlight authentic voices across CIC platforms.
Corporate Social Impact
Support your organization’s social impact goals by encouraging participation, amplifying community voices, and promoting values-aligned storytelling.
Partnership supports outreach and community engagement. Expanded brand visibility and event recognition are reserved for sponsors.
Grassroots Sponsor
Amplifier Sponsor
Sponsorship Opportunities
$250
$500
Invest in Representation. Celebrate Real Voices.
+ benefits
+ benefits
Your support helps uplift the educators, mentors, creators, and neighbors who strengthen our communities.
Legacy Sponsor
Storyteller Sponsor
$1,000
$2,500+
+ benefits
+ benefits
Become a CIC Social Media Brand Ambassador
Turn your passion for culture and storytelling into real-world experience.
Help spotlight authentic stories on your campus, earn social features, strengthen your skills, and make a real impact in your community.
Learn More
Join the Movement
The Tapestry of Black Voices Awards is more than an event. It is a growing movement that honors everyday heroes and storytellers uplifting our communities.
Conversations in Color
Every story adds strength to the tapestry.
Generational Wealth & Wellness
Conversations that strengthen our financial, physical, and mental well-being.
Suggested themes:
- health equity & access
- building wealth and economic power
- Black mental health & emotional resilience
Share the wisdom, lessons, and strategies that move us from surviving to thriving. Eligibility: Must be 18 years or older to submit an entry.
Amplifier Sponsor
$500
Includes all Community Partner benefits, plus:
- Logo included in promotional materials and countdown posts
- Name mentioned during the livestream
Designed for organizations seeking expanded visibility across CIC platforms.
Become a Sponsor
CIC Social Media Brand Ambassador
Who We're Looking For
- College and trade school students from any major with an interest in culture, storytelling, or social impact
- Students active on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or campus social channels
- Creatives, communicators, and campus leaders who enjoy being involved and amplifying community voices
What Ambassadors Do
- Re-share and promote CIC content 2–4 times per month
- Support promotion of the Tapestry of Black Voices Awards
- Contribute creative ideas to help engage students and campus communities
What Ambassadors Receive
- Featured profile on CIC platforms highlighting your story and interests
- Hands-on, resume-ready experience in media, community engagement, and cultural advocacy
- Monthly recognition opportunities, including spotlights and featured content
- Letters of recommendation upon successful participation
- Digital certificate at the end of the term
- Opportunity to co-host a CIC livestream or Instagram takeover
Learn More
The Gumbo Pot
Have a conversation idea that doesn’t fit anywhere else?
This is your open category. Bring your creativity, your curiosity, and your unique perspective. If it reflects the Black experience, it belongs in the Gumbo Pot. Eligibility: Must be 18 years or older to submit an entry.
Community Conversations
Raise the issues that shape everyday life in our neighborhoods.
Possible topics include:
- gentrification & displacement
- food deserts
- building safe, thriving communities
- leadership & advocacy
- Black educators speaking truth from the classroom
If it affects us, it belongs here. Eligibility: Must be 18 years or older to submit an entry.
HBCU & BSU Conversations
Share the conversations that shaped your college journey.
Whether you attended an HBCU or found community through a Black Student Union at a PWI, we want to hear about the experiences, traditions, challenges, and moments that made your campus life unforgettable. Your stories reflect pride, legacy, and the power of Black academic spaces. Eligibility: Must be 18 years or older to submit an entry.
Our Future: Gen Z Speaks
If you were born between 1997 and 2012, this space is for you.
Talk about what matters to you: identity, purpose, culture, vision, challenges, or change. Your voice is bold, fresh, and necessary. This is your platform to speak your truth. Eligibility: Must be 18 years or older to submit an entry.
Storyteller Sponsor
$1,000
Includes all Amplifier benefits, plus:
- Sponsor spotlight post across CIC channels
- Logo displayed during finalist announcements
- Option to sponsor a category
A strong fit for partners committed to storytelling, culture, and community impact.
Become a Sponsor
Grassroots Sponsor
$250
- Logo on event page and closing credits
- Thank-you mention on social media
- Inclusion in the digital Community Supporters highlight post
Ideal for local businesses, grassroots organizations, and individual supporters.
Become a Sponsor
Black-Owned Brilliance
Shine a spotlight on Black entrepreneurship.
Host a conversation inside your favorite Black-owned business, or highlight one you love. Share stories of innovation, resilience, and community impact while giving visibility to the businesses that keep our neighborhoods thriving. Eligibility: Must be 18 years or older to submit an entry.
It’s Good To Be Black: Celebrating Our Culture
The joy, humor, beauty, and brilliance of being Black.
Capture the moments that make us smile. The conversations at the cookout, in the pews, over games, between friends, and in the silent looks we exchange that say everything. Celebrate us. Eligibility: Must be 18 years or older to submit an entry.
CIC Social Media Brand Ambassador
Who We're Looking For
- College and trade school students from any major with an interest in culture, storytelling, or social impact
- Students active on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or campus social channels
- Creatives, communicators, and campus leaders who enjoy being involved and amplifying community voices
What Ambassadors Do
- Re-share and promote CIC content 2–4 times per month
- Support promotion of the Tapestry of Black Voices Awards
- Contribute creative ideas to help engage students and campus communities
What Ambassadors Receive
- Featured profile on CIC platforms highlighting your story and interests
- Hands-on, resume-ready experience in media, community engagement, and cultural advocacy
- Monthly recognition opportunities, including spotlights and featured content
- Letters of recommendation upon successful participation
- Digital certificate at the end of the term
- Opportunity to co-host a CIC livestream or Instagram takeover
Learn More
Legacy Sponsor
$2,500+
Includes all Storyteller benefits, plus:
- Premium logo placement during opening and closing of the virtual event
- Co-branded placement in the event trailer and recap reel
- Verbal acknowledgment by the emcee
- Opportunity to record a personalized greeting or announcement for the Tapestry of Black Voices Awards livestream
Best suited for partners wanting both cultural alignment and leading visibility.
Become a Sponsor
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Transcript
An Initiative by Conversations in Color
The Tapestry of Black Voices Awards
2026 Program Presentation
start
Why This Event Matters
From hush harbors to hashtags...
Conversation has always been our survival. When we were forbidden to gather, to teach each other, share information, and encourage one another, we still found a way to come together. Centuries later… When we needed community and counsel, we turned to barbershops, porches, and family kitchens. Coming together. Conversation. Connection. That is how we made progress.
About the Tapestry of Black Voices Awards
/ Our Vision/
The Tapestry of Black Voices Awards is more than an award show. It is a celebration woven from the everyday brilliance of our people. We honor the voices that shape our neighborhoods: the teachers, the business owners, the artists, and the organizers who move our communities forward.
Each story adds a new thread to our shared history and reminds us that the soul of the Black experience lives in everyday people, in voices that go unheard and in conversations that keep us connected. This event is our way of saying, We see you. We honor you. We thank you. Together, we weave a tapestry that preserves our past and shapes our future.
How It Works | The Process
Story Submission & Review: Community members submit 2–7-minute recorded conversations, which are reviewed by a panel of judges for creativity, authenticity, and impact. Virtual Awards Experience: A Juneteenth livestream celebration featuring storytelling, art, and community voices, where category winners are announced and honored in recognition of Black history, culture, and collective progress. Beyond the Event: Finalists and winners become part of a growing network of storytellers and ambassadors who continue sharing conversations that uplift and connect our communities.
Categories Overview
Entries Accepted: May 1–30, 2026
Select a category to learn more.
HBCU & BSU Conversations
Threads of our brilliance.
Threads of our stories.
Black-Owned Brilliance
Our Future: Gen Z Speaks
Community Conversations
Generational Wealth & Wellness
It’s Good to Be Black
The Gumbo Pot
Ways to Get Involved
Help Us Amplify the Voices That Build Our Communities
Become a Partner
Become a Sponsor
The Tapestry of Black Voices Awards is powered by collaboration. There are many ways to be part of this celebration of culture, community, and connection.
Let’s build something lasting together, because partnerships extend beyond one event and create opportunities for shared campaigns, campus outreach, and community programs.
Support representation, strengthen visibility, and invest in community media. Each sponsorship level offers meaningful recognition and engagement.
Join as a Brand Ambassador
Submit a Conversation Entry
Ambassadors amplify our message online, help share stories, and build excitement leading up to the awards.
Record a 2–7 minute conversation that highlights the voices or stories in your community. Invite friends, classmates, co-workers, or family to create an entry together.
There’s a place for every voice in this tapestry.
Partner With CIC
Partnership Pathways
Community & Nonprofit Partners
Campus & Education Partners
Advance shared goals through outreach, resource sharing, and community engagement that uplifts local voices and stories.
Empower student storytellers by promoting the Awards across campus, sharing opportunities with student groups, and encouraging conversation entries.
Building Community. Sharing Purpose.
Partnership is a no-cost way to support the Tapestry of Black Voices Awards by helping us reach more students, storytellers, and community voices. Partners collaborate with CIC through outreach, engagement, and shared mission, while sponsorship provides expanded visibility and recognition.
Cultural & Creative Collaborators
Collaborate on storytelling projects, creative engagement ideas, or cultural initiatives that highlight authentic voices across CIC platforms.
Corporate Social Impact
Support your organization’s social impact goals by encouraging participation, amplifying community voices, and promoting values-aligned storytelling.
Partnership supports outreach and community engagement. Expanded brand visibility and event recognition are reserved for sponsors.
Grassroots Sponsor
Amplifier Sponsor
Sponsorship Opportunities
$250
$500
Invest in Representation. Celebrate Real Voices.
+ benefits
+ benefits
Your support helps uplift the educators, mentors, creators, and neighbors who strengthen our communities.
Legacy Sponsor
Storyteller Sponsor
$1,000
$2,500+
+ benefits
+ benefits
Become a CIC Social Media Brand Ambassador
Turn your passion for culture and storytelling into real-world experience.
Help spotlight authentic stories on your campus, earn social features, strengthen your skills, and make a real impact in your community.
Learn More
Join the Movement
The Tapestry of Black Voices Awards is more than an event. It is a growing movement that honors everyday heroes and storytellers uplifting our communities.
Conversations in Color
Every story adds strength to the tapestry.
Generational Wealth & Wellness
Conversations that strengthen our financial, physical, and mental well-being.
Suggested themes:
- health equity & access
- building wealth and economic power
- Black mental health & emotional resilience
Share the wisdom, lessons, and strategies that move us from surviving to thriving. Eligibility: Must be 18 years or older to submit an entry.Amplifier Sponsor
$500
Includes all Community Partner benefits, plus:
Designed for organizations seeking expanded visibility across CIC platforms.
Become a Sponsor
CIC Social Media Brand Ambassador
Who We're Looking For
- College and trade school students from any major with an interest in culture, storytelling, or social impact
- Students active on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or campus social channels
- Creatives, communicators, and campus leaders who enjoy being involved and amplifying community voices
What Ambassadors DoWhat Ambassadors Receive
Learn More
The Gumbo Pot
Have a conversation idea that doesn’t fit anywhere else?
This is your open category. Bring your creativity, your curiosity, and your unique perspective. If it reflects the Black experience, it belongs in the Gumbo Pot. Eligibility: Must be 18 years or older to submit an entry.
Community Conversations
Raise the issues that shape everyday life in our neighborhoods.
Possible topics include:
- gentrification & displacement
- food deserts
- building safe, thriving communities
- leadership & advocacy
- Black educators speaking truth from the classroom
If it affects us, it belongs here. Eligibility: Must be 18 years or older to submit an entry.HBCU & BSU Conversations
Share the conversations that shaped your college journey.
Whether you attended an HBCU or found community through a Black Student Union at a PWI, we want to hear about the experiences, traditions, challenges, and moments that made your campus life unforgettable. Your stories reflect pride, legacy, and the power of Black academic spaces. Eligibility: Must be 18 years or older to submit an entry.
Our Future: Gen Z Speaks
If you were born between 1997 and 2012, this space is for you.
Talk about what matters to you: identity, purpose, culture, vision, challenges, or change. Your voice is bold, fresh, and necessary. This is your platform to speak your truth. Eligibility: Must be 18 years or older to submit an entry.
Storyteller Sponsor
$1,000
Includes all Amplifier benefits, plus:
A strong fit for partners committed to storytelling, culture, and community impact.
Become a Sponsor
Grassroots Sponsor
$250
Ideal for local businesses, grassroots organizations, and individual supporters.
Become a Sponsor
Black-Owned Brilliance
Shine a spotlight on Black entrepreneurship.
Host a conversation inside your favorite Black-owned business, or highlight one you love. Share stories of innovation, resilience, and community impact while giving visibility to the businesses that keep our neighborhoods thriving. Eligibility: Must be 18 years or older to submit an entry.
It’s Good To Be Black: Celebrating Our Culture
The joy, humor, beauty, and brilliance of being Black.
Capture the moments that make us smile. The conversations at the cookout, in the pews, over games, between friends, and in the silent looks we exchange that say everything. Celebrate us. Eligibility: Must be 18 years or older to submit an entry.
CIC Social Media Brand Ambassador
Who We're Looking For
- College and trade school students from any major with an interest in culture, storytelling, or social impact
- Students active on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or campus social channels
- Creatives, communicators, and campus leaders who enjoy being involved and amplifying community voices
What Ambassadors DoWhat Ambassadors Receive
Learn More
Legacy Sponsor
$2,500+
Includes all Storyteller benefits, plus:
Best suited for partners wanting both cultural alignment and leading visibility.
Become a Sponsor