Love in Action: Celebrating Black Philanthropy Month

August kicks off?National Black Philanthropy Month (BPM), a global celebration and concerted campaign to elevate Black giving and funding equity. It serves as an invitation to all Black communities and their allies to reflect on and promote the power of giving to transform lives by giving to organizations that aim at improving the quality of life of the Black community. This year’s BPM theme is “Love in Action”, a nod to scholar-activist bell hook’s writings on love as a necessary foundation for true social change.??

Additionally, Black Giving Day (August 28), rebranded as?Give8/28, has been organized to showcase and promote financial giving for Black-led and Black-benefiting nonprofits. August 28 represents significant moments for the Black community:?

• August 28, 1955: Emmett Till murder by three white men
• August 28, 1963: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech
• August 28, 2005: Hurricane Katrina landed in Louisiana
• August 28, 2008: Senator Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president?

Growing up, giving and service was something that my family instilled in me. In honor of BPM and Give8/28, I’m encouraging my network to demonstrate your Love in Action along with me. Here are a few organizations and causes I’m passionate about and love supporting. I encourage you to support ones that connect to your own values and passions.

• Sickle Cell Disease Association of America?Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Chapter
• Western Kentucky University-?Society of African American Alumni
• NASPA’s?Black Diaspora Knowledge Community?
• Black-owned bookstores. Some of my favorites are?Semicolon,?Black Pearl Books, and?Fulton Street Books & Coffee.?
• Several scholarships are under my sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.??My amazing mentor started one through the?Imani Pearls Community Development Foundation, in honor of her parents, the Waller Continuing Education Scholarship.?

BPM serves as a reminder of the pivotal role that Black communities play in philanthropy, focusing on the importance of giving back, supporting each other, and investing in our shared future. During this month-long observance, let’s contribute our resources and time to causes that promote racial equity, social justice, and economic empowerment. By embracing the spirit of giving, we can create a lasting impact and foster a more inclusive and equitable society. Let's come together and be the change we want to see - not just in August but every day of the year.?