And again . . .
“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” — William Shakespeare
March 15, 44 B.C.: Beware of any friends named Brutus! Julius Caesar laughed off a soothsayer’s warning and was assassinated by his frenemy 2056 years ago today. from Goodreads.com
The Ides of March, while clearly not a good day for Julius Caesar, has inevitably been a great day for me. And today has been no except. More on my birthday weekend tomorrow.
— VF
All you have shall some day be given; Therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors. — Kahlil Gibran
Remarkably, on a sunny and springlike Saturday afternoon, more than 50 people came to the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture on February 22 for a panel discussion on planned giving! An uncommon conversation, particularly in Black communities.
The five panelists at the “What Will Be Your Legacy” forum led an informative discussion and the audience was focused and engaged. You can read about the event at BlackGivesBack.com: Black Philanthropy Panel Discussions in Charlotte Continue With ‘What Will Be Your Legacy?’
This slideshow below includes a dozen photos from the event, which was co-hosted by New Generation of African American Philanthropists and Gantt Center.
up early in phoenix, no sun rising yet.
prepping for talk on legacy left,
once our brief sun is set.
Valaida
19 Feb 2014
Here’s a link to the BlackGivesBack.com piece on the Arizona Community Foundation lunch event during Black History Month:
“Feed Your Soul” Lecture Series Highlights African American Giving in Arizona
Student government leaders from Phoenix Job Corps at ACF lunch event
My soul was fed that day.
— VF
Photographer Jamaica Gilmer
Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
A recent interview with Jamaica Gilmer reminded me just how much I love having a hand in the revelation of stories by writing. Jamaica’s work on The Beautiful Project unveils stories through photography.
The Insider: Photographer Jamaica Gilmer Beholds The Beauty of Black Girls.
BlackGivesBack.com is celebrating Women’s History Month, and this piece helped roar into March 2014!
— VF
Charles W. Thomas, Jr., photographer
Back in August, I interviewed a mix of givers and doers for Black Philanthropy Month. When I asked “what book shaped your philanthropy?”, their responses resulted in this list of 13 publications that I compiled for BlackGivesBack.com.
Is there a book that has influenced how you give?
— VF
While it’s not a Justin Timberlake kind of “sexy,” it’s a topic we think is pretty hot. So…We’re Bringing Giving Back!
Join us Wednesday, February 26, when New Generation of African American Philanthropists will present at the February lunch meeting of Association of Fundraising Professional (AFP), Charlotte Chapter.
Find more info here: AFP Charlotte February 2014 Monthly Meeting
I’m a regular contributing writer on BlackGivesBack.com and here’s a link to yesterday’s post for Valentines Day.
Enjoy!
VF
Keeping it simple today with a video…particularly since a picture speaks a thousand words and since music begins where words end.
Watch: Valentine’s Day Love via Video
L-O-V-E | Charles W. Thomas Jr., photographer
Love,
VF
(there’s music so check your volume)
Three consecutive events are on the horizon where my giving circle and/or I will lead discussions about various facets of philanthropy. Civic discourse and public perceptions are shifting about the essence of philanthropy and how we can practice it to benefit the beloved community. There’s far more work to do, but the seeds of our long collective effort are blossoming and I couldn’t be happier.
“Feed Your Soul” Lecture Series, Feb 19
Arizona Community Foundation
“What Will Be Your Legacy?” Panel Discussion, Feb 22
Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture
“We’re Bringing Giving Back” Presentation, Feb 26
Association of Fundraising Professionals-Charlotte Chapter
More info is here and here. Come join us!
(and this doesn’t even include this weekend’s retreat with members of New Generation of African American Philanthropists, where we’ll plant more seeds for gatherings, grants and giving in 2014.)
At KIPP Charlotte Charter School, Ubuntu is ubiquitous, in print and in spirit. A visit to the school campus last week as a volunteer for Career Day affirmed the principle, powerfully. After volunteering for only a few hours, I left having learned and gained as much or more from the students as I hoped to have imparted. I’m grateful for the invitation from Claudia Ollivierre and for the warmth, safety and responsibility that come with we.
“One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu: the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality, Ubuntu, you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.”
— Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town and Nobel Peace Laureate
Career Day at KIPP Charlotte Charter School, where fifth and sixth graders learned about the career path of at least one writer.
More about the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) here.
valaida 