UNCF’s Post

New Blog Post! More of a thank you letter to Sandra Duff Anderson! Join me as I talk about one of the biggest influences of my childhood. It takes a lot to build a village, but it will only be done with people who are willing to sacrifice for the benefit of others. "As I reflect on God's Church Christian Academy (GCCA), I can't help but ask the question, "Was it a better school than Carrie A. Tuggle Elementary would have been for me or Wilkerson Middle for my sister?" If I'm honest, the answer to that question is probably not, but it's complicated. GCCA wasn't a wealthy school, nor a segregation academy (schools started after the 1954 Brown v Board ruling meant to curb integration); it was an all-Black school founded to provide hope and second chances. GCCA was in an older building and housed students from Kindergarten to twelfth grade. It was a large red brick building with a basketball court across the street and always seemed full of life and energy. Its original purpose was either a large church or a small school, but my memory fails me to recall its original design. I had many experiences there. I will share a few enjoyable memories, but here are a few, shall I say, traumatic ones that shaped my childhood at this school." #communitybuilders #communitybuilding #servantleadership #teachers https://lnkd.in/era8GuYa

John Eaves, Ph.D., I wanted to thank you for sharing your outstanding efforts. Your passion for combating antisemitism is truly inspiring and I am sharing your message with my #network. In light of the Israel-Hamas War, there has been an increase in hate crimes which are having a negative impact on various communities (domestic and internationally). It is imperative that we work together to promote #understanding and #tolerance and to address these issues with sensitivity and #compassion. As we approach the month of May, nearly seven years ago, Neo-Nazis marched through Charlottesville, Virginia, chanting “Jews will not replace us” while holding torches and spewing the same hateful rhetoric that was heard in Europe during the 1930s. The horror of that moment, the violence that followed, and the threat it represented to American democracy drove my passion to serve. Since then, numerous attacks on Jewish Americans and other groups have occurred, shaking our moral conscience as Americans and challenging the values for which we stand. That is why I support the efforts of my office, #CP3, and the #USG to bring communities from across the country together to combat hate in all its forms, including the persistent scourge of antisemitism. We must stand #united, regardless of our backgrounds and beliefs, and affirm that an attack on any one group is an attack on us all. Hate should have no place in America. It's important that we all work together to ensure that our country remains a safe and welcoming place for everyone. Antisemitism not only threatens the Jewish community but all Americans. Those who peddle these antisemitic conspiracy theories and fuel racial, ethnic, and religious hatred against Jews also target other communities, including #Black and brown Americans, #AsianAmericans, #NativeHawaiians and #PacificIslanders, #LGBTQI+ individuals, #MuslimAmericans, #women, and #girls. We must never allow these hateful voices to become normal or normalized.

Some very good questions about the future of Christian universities and the need to find ways to fund these vital schools through philanthropy and private development when governments are committed to ensuring the public education model above all others.

"African Americans are the descendants of captive Africans held in the United States from 1526 to 1865... African descendants...whose ancestors immigrated, or who immigrated to the U.S., also traditionally have been considered African American, as they share a common history of predominantly West African or Central African roots, the horrific Middle Passage of the Diaspora, approximately 340 years of chattel slavery under bitterly brutal conditions including murder, torture, rape, 150 years of federally, state, and locally institutionalized political, economic, and social disenfranchisement, constant and violent terrorism by well known and organized ethnic based hate groups and lynch mobs, lengthy history of denial and deliberate mis-education, a perverting of history, a perverting of religions, forced participation in Jim Crow Era Laws, racial discrimination in every facet of life and in most cases every waking moment of the entire lives of many, many victims, common place and brutal beatings, murder, rape, extortion, mutilations, robbery, sodomy, kidnappings, false imprisonment, etc. by federal, state, and local law enforcement and public officials, a lengthy history of injustice from the federal, state, and local justice systems, political assassinations, constant infiltration and disruption of organized African American human and civil rights, political, and community activists groups, attempted genocide, infanticide, attempted clandestine mass sterilization, constant clandestine medical/psychological/sociopolitical experimentations, a lengthy history of constant threat, harassment, and duress from common place and overt violent acts of racism, mass murder, ongoing bio-terrorist attacks, ongoing “quiet” or silent wars, ongoing covert racism in specialized industries, etc., etc., and still in a constant state of daily hostility and mental anguish while living in a situationally prone overtly racist American society on this day while an African American President sits in the White House (distorted history is evidence of the ongoing well seated ignorance and unrepentant evil that dwells here) for the sixth time in “true” American history. It is these peoples, who in the past were referred to and identified collectively as the Colored, Mullatoes, Creole peoples, Negro, Black, and Afro-American and who now generally consider themselves African Americans. Their history is very rich with ingenuity, innovation, intelligence, courage, faith, perseverance, tolerance, unrelenting and most raw will, constant and multiple struggles and triumph after triumph under the most adverse conditions for the lengthiest time period ever forced upon human beings throughout the history of all of “man”. Their history should be celebrated by all and for all time for it is the very essence of resiliency and the definition of an unbreakable spirit." Akil A. Bomani https://lnkd.in/ghmcF_5F

Yes, we were all starstruck seeing George and Amal Clooney up close, but even more mesmerizing was their brilliance, brutal honesty, incisive analysis, impactful strategies and persistent hard work to right some of the world’s most grievous wrongs. They gave me hope -- we have powerful allies in the battles we’re facing. Following Part 1 of my Skoll World Forum experience in Oxford, England, I promised to share about this powerhouse couple, including George’s unrelenting, irreverent humor and sweet, deep love for Amal. Amal, who went to Oxford College and Law School 24 years ago, spoke about her work with the Clooney Foundation for Justice: “We are waging justice for human rights. We do that wherever we see the rule of law break down. There’s a war on truth and truth tellers. And a war on women.” She described how they provide free legal support for victims and said, “We’re as determined as ever” and revealed her inner drive: “When I see evil and impunity it makes me angry. I try to turn that into action.” But she warned, “We’re not as organized as our foes are.” #allianceforsustainability #SHEKindness #sustainability #SkollFoundation #SkollWorldForum #SkollWF #philanthropy #funding #socialenterprises #changemakers #AmalClooney #GeorgeClooney #ClooneyFoundationforJustice #humanrights #humanrightsabuses #warcrimes #truthtellers #authoritarianism #arcofjustice #publicpolicy #storytelling #impact

Helpful, but oversimplifies. In this latest dialogue about campus conflicts, the author focuses on promoting more conversation. While initiating dialogue is a positive step, it’s essential to recognize where it falls short and what the discussion here misses. First, the complexities of identity and historical injustices often go deeper than what dialogue alone can resolve. When students bring their whole selves—rooted in diverse, often painful histories—into these conversations, we need more than just a space to talk. We need mechanisms that genuinely address and do not inadvertently deepen these wounds. Secondly, universities themselves play a critical role. It’s not enough to encourage student-led initiatives without examining how institutional policies and practices either calm or fan these flames. Are universities truly neutral arenas, or are there embedded biases that need to be addressed? Moreover, external societal pressures significantly shape campus climates. Political rhetoric, social injustices, and economic inequalities that seep onto campuses can’t be untangled through dialogue alone. This broader context needs to be a central part of the conversation. Lastly, while promoting understanding across divides is noble, we must ensure these dialogues are safe and truly inclusive, especially for those from marginalized communities. Are we creating spaces where everyone can speak and be heard, or are we asking some to defend their very existence? Encouraging rich dialogue can be helpful, but let’s be clear about its limitations and the critical work still needed to make our campuses just and safe for everyone.

Amazing workshop!! If you’re considering in-depth DEI training, the institute for diversity and social justice is the way to go!!

Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation September 30 is Orange Shirt Day and is federally recognized as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is a legacy of the Saint Joseph Mission Residential School (1891-1981). Started in May of 2013, this project has grown nationwide and expanded to commemorate the residential school experience, to witness and honour the healing journey of residential school Survivors and their families, and to commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation. Students in schools across WSD are recognizing Indigenous culture and remembering residential school Survivors during the week leading up to September 30, 2023. While it can be a difficult process to remember a darker time in Canadian history, learning about that past can help build identity and meaning for students today. Indigenous students acquire a positive self-identity through learning their own histories, cultures and contemporary lifestyles. Non-Indigenous students develop an understanding and respect for the histories, cultures, and contemporary lifestyles of Indigenous peoples. Quick link: https://bit.ly/ntrc2023 #WinnipegSD #NDTR #TruthAndReconciliation #EveryChildMatters

"...descendants of captive Africans held in the U. S. from 1526 to 1865... African descendants from continental Africa, the Caribbean, South and Central America whose ancestors immigrated, or who immigrated to the U.S., also traditionally have been considered African American, as they share a common history..., the horrific Middle Passage of the Diaspora or Trans Atlantic Slave Trade, approximately 340 years of chattel slavery under bitterly brutal conditions including murder, torture, rape, and another 150 years of federally, state, and locally institutionalized political, economic, and social disenfranchisement, constant and violent terrorism by well known and organized ethnic based hate groups and lynch mobs, lengthy history of denial and deliberate mis-education, a perverting of history, a perverting of religions, forced participation in Jim Crow Era Laws, racial discrimination in every facet of life and in most cases every waking moment of the entire lives of many, many victims, common place and brutal beatings, murder, rape, extortion, mutilations, robbery, sodomy, kidnappings, false imprisonment, etc. by federal, state, and local law enforcement and public officials, a lengthy history of injustice from the...justice systems, political assassinations, constant infiltration and disruption of organized African American human and civil rights, political, and community activists groups, attempted genocide, infanticide, attempted clandestine mass sterilization, constant clandestine medical/psychological/sociopolitical experimentations, a lengthy history of constant threat, harassment, and duress from common place and overt violent acts of racism, mass murder, ongoing bio-terrorist attacks, ongoing “quiet” or silent wars, ongoing covert racism in specialized industries, etc., etc., etc., and still in a constant state of daily hostility and mental anguish while living in a situationally prone overtly racist American society on this day while an African American President sits in the White House and the distorted history is evidence of the ongoing well seated ignorance and unrepentant evil that dwells here, for the sixth time in “true” American history. It is these peoples, who in the past were referred to and identified collectively as the Colored, Mullatoes, Creole peoples, Negro, Black, and Afro-American and who now generally consider themselves African Americans. Their history is very, very rich with ingenuity, innovation, intelligence, courage, faith, perseverance, tolerance, unrelenting and most raw will, constant and multiple struggles and triumph after triumph under the most adverse conditions for the lengthiest time period ever forced upon human beings throughout the history of all of “man”. Their history should be celebrated by all and for all time for it is the very essence of resiliency and the definition of an unbreakable spirit." A. A. Bomani https://lnkd.in/gaNccvF

Educate your children. Do the research. Show them how to do the research. Examine the information. Let them decide. Our story is not a side story. Our perspectives and political strategies are not to be erased and/or made to be less significant…they are to be studied and examined as the critical and pivotal contributions to historical memory that they are AND as a blueprint for contemporary times. This is also why a Pan-African and trans-national approach to studying history is imperative because what was happening in England, connected to what was happening in America, connected to what was happening in Haiti, connected to what was happening in France (and so forth). In a majority Black school district, where the data clearly shows that the education system is failing the majority of the Black student population (and has done so for generations), it is time to start investing in grassroots community solutions that approach education through a culturally relevant and responsive lens. Grassroots community solutions that promote #HighRigor #DeepStudy #ImmersionExperiences and an investment in the cultivation of our children’s scholarship, critical consciousness and pathways to power. #BlackStudies #CulturalStudies #AmericanRevolution #Somerset1772 #DunmoreProclamation #ParentPower #TeachTheBabies