WHO WE ARE

Masakhane (masa-con-eh) is a Xhosa word that means "let's build ourselves, for ourselves, together".

Picture of Stephanie Franklin, a brown-skinned Black person with a shaved head. They're wearing a cable knit sweater.

A brown girl is leaning against a railing and walking on a sidewalk; the background is green grass and bushes. She is smiling at the camera. She’s wearing glasses, a white t-shirt, pink, green and white striped pants, and silver sandals.

Alex is a white person with short brown hair and blue eyes. They are smiling at the camera and holding their right hand up in a peace sign. They are dressed in a black dress shirt and tie. They have collar pins on their collar connected with a gold chain that rests on top of their tie knot. The pins are two small white hands outreached towards each other, mimicking the figures in the Creation of Adam. Alex stands in front of a wooden door with a white doorframe and light yellow wall.

Israa in an historical site somewhere in Europe before COVID.

Medium close-up photo of Madeleine, a 24 year-old white person with brown eyes and long brown hair, sweeping the hair out of her face with her right hand. Her expression is a gentle, closed-mouth smile. She is wearing an unzipped black leather jacket and a thin gold chain around her neck. Madeleine is standing on a roof with a clear blue sky and a city skyline visible behind her.

pictured is Jaelyn, a young puertorriqueña with white skin and freckles on her cheeks and nose, closed-mouth smiling at the camera with her head slightly tilted right. She is wearing a teal tank top and has short brown curly hair half pulled back and half draped on top of her shoulders. Some curls frame Jaelyn’s forehead. She has on brown eyeliner and thick gold hoop earrings, and a nose ring. In the background is a modern building and some trees.

Individual taking a selfie, they are blonde, with brown eyes, wearing gold hoop earrings and a blue and white striped button-up.

Filipino woman in white graduation dress and blue stole leaning against a green railing in a brick building.

Person standing on street corner with one leg up and their hands under their chin with a friendly smile. They have a black and lime green split hair with furry ears, a tail, and a chain leash attached to their wrist and necklace along with other black and green accessories to match. Photo has a QXT's nightclub watermark on the bottom left and photo credit to David M. C. Strange Photography on the bottom right.

"It was the best learning and engaging experience I've ever had. I wouldn't trade the people, experience, memories, or environment for anything." - Francis (former intern)

"“Masakhane welcomed me with open arms to learn, unlearn, and actively reflect. Being in community with others to discuss important topics made the experience even more enhanced and special for me. From training to creating my own projects, Stephanie affirmed me and gave me the space to give myself grace. My overall experience is something that will follow me forever. This organization is what young people need to thrive, pour into themselves, and into their communities.”" - Na'Kiya (former intern)

Our Mission

Masakhane is a youth-driven organization providing community-based sexuality education in and around Newark, NJ. Masakhane’s anti-racist, pro-queer & pro-trans approach to sex-positive programming seeks to promote sexual liberation, including the right to pleasure, for marginalized communities.

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Our Guiding Principles

Masakhane believes everyone has the right to accurate, non-judgmental information on all sexuality topics.
Masakhane uses a sex-positive, pleasure-focused lens to help participants build supportive relationships and experiences grounded in communication and consent.
Masakhane workshops honor the rights of young people to make their own decisions.
Masakhane provides resources that encourage folks to incorporate sexual wellness into their lives, if they so choose.
Masakhane's programs represent the experiences of those marginalized for their gender identity and/or sexual orientation.
Masakhane's programs are actively anti-racist. Masakhane works to dismantle the racism and anti-Blackness that is ingrained within traditional sexuality education.
Masakhane is a reproductive justice organization. Reproductive justice, as defined by SisterSong, is the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.

We Need Your Support Today!

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