Transitioning from Schott, but Staying in the Movement (obvi!)

Dear Relatives, 

At the start of 2021, I found myself in a place of drastic juxtaposition. Within moments of hearing the good news about the vaccines and the transition to a justice-friendly administration, we watched as COVID-19-related deaths exceeded half a million Americans. And if that wasn’t enough, the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol illuminated just how fractured and unwell our country still is. This moment of racial justice awakenings and calls for healing is tenuous. It has called me to a place of transition, to give laser focus to my work of racial justice, through collective healing.

 Six years ago, I moved to New York City and took on the role of leading Schott’s programs and advocacy team. Schott provided an opportunity to experience leadership like I had never before. In addition to building my own team and shaping our amazing programming, #TeamSchott supported and fueled my entrepreneurial spirit and creativity. I was encouraged to use my own voice and celebrated as a whole person in ways that, unfortunately, are rare in the philanthropic sector. It has been a dream to learn and work alongside a visionary Black leader, Dr. John H. Jackson, who has shared and celebrated my vision for a radical, reparative giving. As I prepared to release my book Decolonizing Wealth in 2018, I was completely trusted to share my story and vision with the sector without any limitations. The Schott team has been my greatest cheerleader as the calls for decolonizing wealth have gotten louder and have fundamentally shifted the philanthropic sector.

 During my time at Schott, some of my favorite contributions have been working with the team to:  

• Raise and deploy millions of new dollars to support racial justice in education across our National Opportunity to Learn Network  
• Launch the Loving Communities Response Fund — the first education justice participatory fund in the nation in partnership with our national networks of grassroots partners  
• Create #JusticeIsTheFoundation - an initiative to examine giving and impact in the education sector through the lens of equity and justice  
• Leverage philanthropic investment in new funder initiatives focused on marginalized youth, including Native and LGBT.  

 More than these achievements, what I’ll miss most are the people and the road we walk together every day — the board, staff and our community of grantee partners and donors. You all are my family. Together we’ve built something great. Schott has a bold new strategic focus to move unprecedented resources to the education justice movement and is welcoming new leadership to carry its mission to the next level. I feel confident to pass the torch and believe that the best is yet to come. 

 What’s next for me? I’m taking the work of truth, healing, reparations and reconciliation globally — including beyond the walls of philanthropy — as my contribution to our collective liberation. Starting in mid-June, I will devote my time fully to the work of the Decolonizing Wealth Project and Liberated Capital, a giving circle I started to fund racial healing in Black and Native communities.

 I will keep supporting Schott and our grantee partners — you should too. Schott’s work is powerful and important, and my support of its mission doesn’t end here. I will continue to be vocal about the imperative of education justice, the need to increase resources to support public education, and the core values espoused by the Schott team.

To Healing! 

Edgar