Love is an Action - Words are Not Enough.

Today marks the four-year anniversary of George Floyd’ s murder by police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ?No doubt, there will be a plethora of posts today about the failing of all sectors to do the real, deep, and difficult work of addressing anti-Black racism, but none is more ironic than in the charitable and non-profit sectors.? A sector that professes to be for the good of humanity has been one of the most resistant to investment in, and execution of, racial justice. It is not enough to read books, take courses, and talk about equity work.? If philanthropy’s etymology is “love of thy fellow human” then the only logical conclusion is that we do not love people equally.?

Love is an action, and we must demonstrate that love by choosing to act every single day. Words are not enough.

Fellow white fundraisers, if I were to grade us on our anti-racism work over the last four years, I’d give us a D-. ?I include myself in that failing grade as I have been responsible for serious and egregious harm to Black women in the sector. Over the last four years, I have been on my own journey of exploring my racist history and actions. It started by reading Collecting Courage, connecting with the authors, building genuine and authentic relationships with Black fundraisers, doing the work of anti-racism training with my friend and coach Nneka Allen, CFRE, COC, PCC , and most importantly showing up when I was called to action. This is a journey, not a destination, and I continue to make mistakes. I will always be called in and called out when my words and my actions are not rooted in anti-racist practices, but every day I work on myself I reduce my white fragility and commit to deepening my practice of anti-racism and decolonization.

?If we truly believe in justice, what are we waiting for? Why are there still so many parts of the fundraising sector that refuse to acknowledge our sector’s history of colonial roots?? Why do we refuse to talk to our high-net worth donors about the origins of their wealth and the need for reparations?? What good is this sector if we exist to perpetuate economic disparity through philanthropic segregation?

"Philanthropy is commendable but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Black feminist, author, and social critic bell hooks once stated that "to begin by always thinking of love as an action rather than a feeling is one way in which anyone using the word in this manner automatically assumes accountability and responsibility." If we truly "love our fellow human" then how are we taking accountability and responsibility for the ways we are failing Black fundraisers and Black communities? When will we admit that philanthropy has been intentionally exclusionary and oppressive? When will we admit we do not love equally because our sector is fundamentally racist?

Over the last four years I have had the honour and privilege of connecting with, and being in relationship with, many Black fundraisers. The majority of them (mostly Black women) have left their jobs due to racist and exclusionary practices by their employers. There is no need for me to relay their experiences as there are a plethora of ways to learn about how anti-Black racism continues to harm Black folx.

If you want to educate yourself on this issue please consider reading:

• Collecting Courage : if you have not heard about or bought this book, please do it today. The editors of the book Nneka Allen, CFRE, COC, PCC , Nicole Salmon , and Camila Pereira, PhD continue to build a beautiful community of practice stemming from this book which you can find at https://www.collectingcourage.org/training-learning
• Take Action AFP: read about how a group of Co-Conspirators were formed to amplify and address Nneka Allen, CFRE, COC, PCC , Mide Akerewusi, B.Sc., M.Sc. (Econ), CSR-P, CDEP. , and Múthoní Karíukí HBSc, MPNL, CFRE experience of anti-Black racism and tokenism at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Toronto Chapter in 2017.
• Black and White Women Tropes : the experiences of Black women in our sector are unique to their male peers, and Nonprofit Quarterly nailed this with a piece titled: “We Specialize in the Wholly Impossible”: Navigating Three Black Women Tropes in Leadership. Read it and watch the extraordinary interview with Dr. Yanique Redwood , Kerrien S. , and Whitney Parnell .

So I would ask white folx in the fundraising sector what actions will we take to change the way we do our work? How will be show our Black peers that we really and truly are a sector about love of thy fellow human? How can we spend time building real, genuine, and truly transformational relationships with Black people in our work and in our communities so that we can ultimately change ourselves and the world around us?

The world feels tenuous at this moment. In times of crisis, we often want to recoil from the discomfort. Instead, I would encourage all of us to lean and and examine ourselves, our work, and our sector, and ask ourselves what have we really achieved in four years? How can we be better? How will be be accountable for our love as an action?

Do not allow these moments in history to be mere moments. Be bold in your choices and be brave in exploring your role in the systems of oppression. This will be the most liberating experience of your life - it was for me.