Mission Statement

The mission of BlackLine is to provide hope and promote social justice for individuals, families and communities through immediate crisis counseling and collecting information on negative police and vigilante contact in the United States of America. BlackLine is a unique combination of professional staff, trained volunteers and collaborative partnerships to create innovative responses to pressing social needs and issues. Through an unapologetic Black, LGBTQ and Black Femme lens.

Vision Statement

All people will have access to appropriate and adequate services needed throughout their life cycle. BlackLine will be a catalyst in providing witness listeners as well as a referral source for Black, Brown and Indigenous peoples in particular, throughout the nation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are we?

We are a group of volunteers who started in and around the Hudson Valley, New York and now consist of volunteers nation-wide. Volunteers are trained in listening to and affirming the experiences of anyone who may be in crisis or have experienced negative interaction with law enforcement, consumer (restaurants and stores), and vigilante contact.  

What do we do?

We are here to answer messages from anyone who may be in crisis, wants to describe and interaction with law enforcement or vigilantes, or simply needs to talk through an experience. You do not have to provide any personal information to use the service. All calls remain private and will never be shared with law enforcement or state agencies of any kind. 

Why does BlackLine® exist?

The purpose of the BlackLine is provide people with an avenue to report negative, physical and inappropriate contact with police and vigilantes. Vigilante contact is included, due to what happens to folks in rural and suburban communities from local community member. BlackLine is an anonymous and confidential avenue to report these interactions.  BlackLine can gather the needed information to share with local community organizers and officials on the best response to this type of police and vigilante contact.

We are here for you. We are here to listen and affirm. We know there are all sorts of reasons that you may need someone to speak to. We also know that police, law enforcement and vigilante encounters can be traumatic, upsetting, or worse. In the hopes of changing the way our communities are policed, we hope to speak to people who have had negative experiences with law enforcement or vigilantes. We want to help build a new network of support that our community can rely on.

BlackLine can provide immediate crisis counseling to those who call upset, need to talk with someone immediately, in distress. 

How can I learn more?

Call us at 1 (800) 604-5841 or email us at info@callblackline.org.

About

BlackLine® is a hotline geared towards the Black, Black LGBTQI, Brown, Native and Muslim community. However, no one will be turned away from the Hotline.

The purpose of the BlackLine is to provide people with an anonymous and confidential avenue to report negative, physical, and inappropriate contact with police and vigilantes. We include vigilante contact because of what can happen to folks in rural and suburban communities at the hands of local community members. BlackLine can gather needed information to share with local community organizers and officials to create the most effective response to police and/or vigilante contact.

Close up of a black woman’s nose and mouth shown in profile.

Another component of the BlackLine is to provide immediate crisis counseling to those who are upset, need to talk with someone immediately, or are in distress. For each location in the country, referrals can be given when/if necessary. If the caller is in extreme distress and a harm to themselves and others, the listener will gather as much information as possible to forward to the appropriate authorities.

There are no formal educational requirements for our listeners, however they receive intensive crisis counseling training. We do require that listeners are open, willing, motivated, and committed to social change. Volunteers can be people of all ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities, and especially those who are bilingual and bicultural. 

BlackLine training is occasionally offered for people who are interested in becoming a listener. You need not have prior experience or qualification in crisis listening, just life experience and an ability to listen to people.

BlackLine: Helping the most-impacted folks through crisis, abuse, and mistreatment. One call at a time.