To coincide with the 57th anniversary of the assassination of civil rights leader Malcolm X the Chicago Peace Fellow Alumni will host a Funders Pledge virtual press conference. An open letter, “A Pathway to Anti-Racist Philanthropy,” from 30 members, will be at the center of the discussion. The letter requests increased philanthropy’s commitments to understand their concerns as the demands for their work and services grow. Due to the nationwide uprisings in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Adam Toledo, and many other people of color, an increase in funding does not go without notice. Yet, funding is still unequal to their white-counterpart lead organizations. Funding for Black and Brown organizations can still be greatly improved.
Inspired by the legacy of Phillip Jackson, founder of The Black Star Project, the collaborative is now renewing its call to Chicago foundations, civic leaders, and those in positions of power to share their relationships with organizations like theirs and engage in transforming conversation. The immediate call presents a united front calling on Chicago Foundations to pledge to take immediate, meaningful action to address racial inequity and establish proper relations with community-accountable organizations.
“Our organizations are located in and accountable to our communities, yet we continue to be overlooked, undervalued and often cut out by funders,” explains the Peace Fellow Mutual Aid Collaborative in their open letter. “Although we don’t see the daily images on the evening news, philanthropy is also ripe with racism and inequity.”
The Chicago Peace Fellows Alumni launched the Mutual Aid Collaborative, a collaboration of 60 Black and Brown leaders, to model the structural changes they seek in their communities and society. They are allies working on the South and West sides of Chicago practicing a liberatory model of shared leadership, accountability, combined decision making, and collective action.
The event is free and open to the public. All interested individuals can access the event via this link to attend.
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