The Power of the Small
December 5th marks the anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which served as the springboard for the Civil Rights Era. In 1955, the Montgomery bus boycott began in Alabama in response to Rosa Parks' arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a municipal bus to a white man. The African American community organized the boycott until December 20, 1956, when a U.S. Supreme Court ruling integrated the public transportation system.
The boycott organization reminds us of Margaret Mead's quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
This seems particularly relevant today as individuals and groups consider how to address the current tax on democracy, DEI, voting rights, and other recent reversals of inclusionary actions. If we look back on what the citizens of Montgomery were able to accomplish, it doesn’t appear overwhelming or insurmountable.
As we highlight the bus boycott, we want to acknowledge the role of women. In 1946, the Women’s Political Council (WPC) started protesting the Montgomery city buses. The WPC also played a pivotal role, organizing it through a door-to-door campaign in a matter of days. As a result, most of Montgomery's 50,000 African American residents participated in the boycott. They walked, carpooled, took taxis, or hitchhiked to get to work or school.
In reflecting on the outcome, King said of the bus boycott: “We came to see that, in the long run, it is more honorable to walk in dignity than ride in humiliation.” King’s role in the bus boycott garnered international attention, and the tactic of mass nonviolent protest became the model for challenging segregation and racial oppression in the South.
Project 2025: The Death of Democracy
"Believe people when they tell you who they are. They know themselves better than you." Maya Angelou
Project 2025 is not just a policy proposal; it's a direct threat to our democracy. Designed to consolidate executive power if the Republican nominee wins the 2024 presidential election, this right-wing plan aims to reshape the federal government in an authoritarian, Christian nationalist image.
Here's what's at stake:
- Erosion of the Rule of Law: Project 2025 would undermine the separation of powers and civil liberties, erasing the checks and balances that protect our democracy.
- Rising Inequality: This plan seeks to normalize white supremacy and disproportionately harm Black Americans by slashing funding for education, healthcare, and social programs.
- Attack on Rights: A draconian abortion ban, elimination of affirmative action, and the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are just the beginning.
- Healthcare Access: Imposing work requirements on Medicaid would further racial inequality, burdening Black Americans who already face significant employment barriers.
What can you do?
Vote. This November, your vote is your voice. Reject any candidate that supports Project 2025 and its extremist principles.
Stay Informed. Understand the impacts of these policies on our communities and stand up for those who will be most affected.
Take Action. Mobilize, advocate, and speak out against this radical agenda.
The stakes have never been higher for Black Americans and our democracy. We must keep Republicans out of office until they shed their extremist ideologies.
They have shown us who they are—are we listening?
Act now. Protect our democracy. Vote against Project 2025.
They have told us who they are; the question is are we listening??!!
Embracing Gratitude: A Thanksgiving Reflection
In many respects, 2023 has been a tumultuous year. The war in the Ukraine has continued and another war in the Middle East has been rekindled. In both instances, we have witnessed the tragic loss of countless innocent lives and the dramatic and permanent scarring of the lives of millions. Closer to home, as we entered the post-COVID era, we are experiencing unsurprising setbacks in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and political and economic landscapes around the globe teeter on uncertainty.
Nevertheless, as Thanksgiving approaches, it's a time for reflection, gratitude, and appreciation. Even in the midst of our pain, sorrow, and uncertainty, we must take a moment to take a deep breath and acknowledge our blessings. A moment to appreciate our personal strengths, individual accomplishments, and indomitable resilience. We are thankful for the lessons, experiences, and challenges that have contributed to the personal development and spiritual growth of each of us, and embrace the opportunity to continually evolve and expand our horizons.
Thanksgiving is a celebration of togetherness. An opportunity to cherish the bonds with family, friends, and colleagues that uplift, support, and bring joy by acknowledging the people who make our life’s journey meaningful. Don’t be afraid to let them know how much you appreciate them.
In today’s world, kindness can often be overshadowed and undervalued. Let's reflect on the acts of generosity, compassion, and love that have impacted us throughout the year, and pledge to be kinder and gentler in the days, weeks, and years to come.
As we embark upon our daily lives, it's easy to overlook the beauty that surrounds us. Take a moment to marvel at the wonders of nature— the cool breeze of autumn, the colorful falling leaves, the beauty of undulating landscapes, and the serenity it brings. Remember – you are nature’s greatest creation. That's plenty to be thankful for!
As we gather with family and friends during this holiday season, let's also gather our thoughts and hearts in gratitude. In practicing gratitude, we open ourselves to a world of positivity, joy, and interconnectedness. This Thanksgiving, Chrysalis Lab prays that gratitude will be the centerpiece of our celebrations, guiding us toward a future filled with greater appreciation and compassion for all.
Moving Beyond Hope by Casting More Black Votes
“We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of Black people…”
-- Fannie Lou Hamer
This month, another election cycle ensues. Voting is unequivocally the most essential civic duty and holds particular importance for Black people in the United States. Voting provides Black people with the power to influence the direction of our communities. By participating in elections, we can elect representatives who share our values and address our concerns.
At its core, voting equates to exercising power and allocating resources. Elected officials determine how our tax dollars are spent, which directly affects our daily lives. By electing individuals who prioritize our interests and champion initiatives that support our well-being, we ensure our tax dollars benefit our families and communities. Abstaining from voting essentially endorses those who may not share our values.
It’s not enough for Black people to say we care about our communities. We must prepare ourselves to fight for and advocate in all ways possible for the issues that impact our well-being, especially those associated with ensuring fairness in our voting rights. Ultimately, our vote is the arbiter of whether our interests are genuinely valued and respected in this country.
Participating in the electoral process is just as important today as it was prior to and during the Civil Rights era. The recent and widespread changes to voting practices, redistricting, and voter identification laws are designed to suppress voters of color and silence our collective voices The number of eligible Black voters in the United States, now nearly 33 million, has been growing. Yet, racism remains a persistent thread in American culture, consistently working to deny and dilute the influence and power of Black people.
No one gets the right to vote because they ask for it. People get the right to vote because they organize themselves, one community at a time. The struggle is ongoing, as the structures of power continually attempt to deny Black Americans their right to vote, all under the guise of the law. As Frederick Douglass said, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never has and it never will.”
Efforts to deny Black people the right to vote and/or to steal their votes is constant and pervading. A recent study by the Democratic Party of Virginia reveals a concerning trend: mail-in ballots from Black voters are flagged for rejection at a significantly higher rate than those from white voters. Presently, 4.8% of Black voters' ballots are flagged, while only 2.8% of white voters' ballots face the same fate. In Richmond, city officials flag more than 11% of ballots from Black voters, compared to about 5.5% of those from white voters. The rejection rate for Black voters remains more than twice as high as that for white voters.
In the face of pervasive white supremacy, Black Americans are in for a long and arduous struggle. Our unwavering commitment to constituting a genuine democracy in America has remained a constant throughout our history in this country. Now more than ever, African Americans must use every means at our disposal to avenge our enslaved ancestors, including exercising our right to vote. We must vote for people who have our best interests in mind. We must vote for issues that advance the well-being of our families and communities. We must vote because we’re empowered to do so as full American citizens. We can’t expect to win every election, but if we don’t vote, we will most assuredly lose.
Mental Health & Community
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in four people will struggle with a mental illness at some point during their lives. However, not every racial group is equally impacted. Racism has a profound, deleterious impact on the mental health of African Americans. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has declared racism a serious threat to public health. In the African-American community, mental health issues are often compounded by the psychological stress of systemic racism. As a result, African Americans are 20 percent more likely to report serious psychological distress than Whites, and just one in three African Americans who struggle with mental health issues will not receive appropriate treatment.
The traumatic experience of racism includes overt acts of physical and verbal aggression, but they also include indirect stressors, such as witnessing instances of police brutality on social media or enduring subtle yet harmful microaggressions. These insidious forms of racial trauma perpetuate stereotypes and prejudices, leaving an indelible mark on one’s sense of self ultimately influencing their mental well-being.
Racism also appears in the less obvious, but no less traumatic manifestation of micro aggressions-- subtle, often unintentional slights that reinforce racial bias and animus. Examples range from a store clerk persistently shadowing a Black customer to a person of color being mistakenly assumed to be a service worker. Due to their frequency, these microaggressions can gradually erode a person's sense of self-worth and identity, exacerbating the mental health burden borne by African Americans and members of other marginalized communities.
Racial trauma can also be passed down through intergenerational transmission. Stress can cause changes to reproductive cells as well as to the uterine environment where a fetus develops. Because of this, people whose ancestors experienced trauma may be more vulnerable to mental health conditions. This has tremendous mental health implications for descendants of Black people. Traumatic experiences of racism include physical and verbal attacks, while indirect stressors include seeing videos of police brutality on social media or being the target of subtle putdowns.
At Chrysalis Lab, we recognize that racism/white supremacy are unhealthy mental constructs. That’s why, through our equity work, we encourage leaders and influencers to adopt an introspective approach. We recognize that before any individual can exhibit racist behavior, they must harbor biased thoughts, assumptions, and predispositions about others. By challenging and dismantling these erroneous beliefs, we aim to foster positive, inclusive behaviors and empower individuals and organizations to transcend cultural biases, thereby contributing to a more just and equitable society.
August Blog: Last Day of Black Philanthropy Month
As we close out Black Philanthropy Month (at least we get a full 31 days unlike the other month
designated for us to celebrate our history), but I digress. Side note - if I’m being really honest,
prior to writing this blog, I wasn’t even sure of the origins of Black Philanthropy Month and what
its purpose was/is. For those out there like me - here’s what I learned: Black Philanthropy Month
was created in 2011 by Dr. Jackie Bouvier Copeland and the Pan-African Women's
Philanthropy Network. It’s an annual, global celebration of African-descent giving. So essentially
it’s a time for us to /celebrate how we - as Black people - give, which oftentimes looks very
different from what mainstream traditional philanthropic giving looks like. I digress again - that’s
for another blog.
What I’ve been thinking a lot about lately is what it means to be a Black practitioner or
professional working within the field of philanthropy. What are the extra responsibilities we carry
as we work to move resources to Black-led organizations and communities of color? As a self-
proclaimed “recovering funder” (Thank you, Dr. Janelle Williams, Co-Founder and CEO of the
Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative for letting me borrow that term), I often think about the
challenges that come with being Black and in philanthropy. Yes - it comes with its privileges -
access to rooms, access to resources (resources we’re almost always reminded of that don’t
belong to us), access to information, and social capital. But navigating the philanthropic field also
comes with a great deal of responsibility. The responsibility of deciding who gets what and how
much of these limited resources that aren’t our own, which often translates into deciding who
doesn’t get something or anything. This process of picking and choosing which non-profit
leaders of color to elevate and build a deeper relationship with isn’t easy. In fact, it immediately
thrusts you into a position of power and hierarchical ranking - a place that we all fundamentally
know doesn’t feel right. Hell, if it were up to me (and if the resources were mine), I’d give out as
much and as often as possible - few questions asked. Simply based on the fact that I
understand our history and know that this country was built on the backs of free Black labor. So
there’s much repair and replenishing that needs to happen. No questions asked! But I digress
again, because it’s not my money, so I often find myself having to make difficult decisions - ones
that don’t always feel right when I think about how to best support and help my own Black
people and communities. Because the truth of the matter is, those often closest to the ground
doing the work within our communities are often not the ones “presentable” to our trustees.
Then it becomes an exploration of - which organizations and leaders - do I think can pass
muster? Who can I sneak by them? Which ones can I convince my board and trustees to invest
in? And then it’s up to me - as the middle woman (aka “gatekeeper”) - to deepen the relationship
with that leader of color to help them navigate what it means to be in partnership with a
traditional funder. Which then leads me to think about what it means to hold someone
accountable with love or in a way that allows for missteps but grace? How do I allow this Black
leader to show up as their authentic self and allow them to remain that way without having to
shape-shift in order to convince my trustees that they’re worthy of resources? When you pause
to think about it, and I’ve had 5 years out of the field to reflect, it’s not an easy place to be. It’s
nuanced and fraught with challenges and complexities. And I suspect that for those of us who
stay in the field long enough, we get weary and tired of “having to make the case.” I don’t have
any easy answers for my Brothers and Sisters in the field, but I do know that without you/us
there at the table - we’d likely be even further behind…or would we? But I digress, that’s for
another blog: What ways do we as Black people hold white supremacy in place because some
of us are beneficiaries of the perceived privileges it brings? Maybe I’ll tackle that topic next
time.
