The Blackshires Community Empowerment Foundation is a not-for-profit that works to "empower and enrich the Black community in the Berkshires and surrounding areas," according to its website.
It's also a not-for-profit accelerator that trains people of color in the area to be leaders in their own communities.
And that's exactly what nine people of color are doing in Pittsfield, Mass., the New York Daily News reports.
The nine are part of the Blackshires Leadership Program, a 15-week program that's been going on for two years.
"Over the course of the course of a 15-week accelerator, the Leadership Program provides guidance and support for emerging BIPOC community leaders in the Berkshires," says the foundation's website.
"This innovative approach blends traditional leadership training with cutting-edge strategies tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities within BIPOC communities."
The nine people who've completed the program, which runs from January to June each year, will be presented with their diplomas at a June 14 graduation ceremony.
They'll then be given the opportunity to work with some of the area's leading businesses, as well as start their own projects.
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