In the summer of 2017, Pastor James M. Ivy stopped by to visit with Wanda Sloan, and what began as a simple conversation in her living room quickly became a serious and sobering discussion. They were talking about decisions made by the Beloit School Board that directly impacted African American teachers, but it soon became clear that the issue was much larger than a single policy or decision.

The concerns touched on long-standing patterns affecting Black educators, Black students, and the broader Black community. In that moment, there was a shared conviction that these issues could no longer be discussed quietly or privately. There was a need to bring the community together, to speak openly, and to address the realities facing Black families in Beloit. Out of that conviction came a determination to call a much-needed Beloit Black family meeting.

That fall, pastor Ivy and Wanda Sloan helped convene Beloit’s first Black Town Hall Meeting at New Zion Baptist Church. More than 150 Black residents gathered in one space to share experiences, raise concerns, and speak honestly about the conditions impacting their lives.

Community members spoke truth to power, engaging directly with representatives from the Beloit School Board, City Council, County Board of Directors, and Beloit College. The meeting created a rare and powerful space where Black voices were centered, respected, and heard, not as complaints, but as informed and urgent calls for accountability, equity, and change.

At the close of that historic Town Hall, an open invitation was extended to continue both the conversation and the work. What followed was a smaller follow-up meeting of twelve committed individuals who understood that sustained change requires organization, unity, and persistence. From that meeting, the Concerned Black Citizens of Beloit was officially formed.

That small group emerged from that initial meeting with a clear mission and purpose: to proactively address the interconnected issues of education, economics, healthcare, and justice, while upholding the dignity, development, freedom, and future of the Black community in the city of Beloit. Since that moment, the Concerned Black Citizens of Beloit has remained committed to being a collective voice and an active force for meaningful, community-centered change.