Happiness in sharing WHEN WE GIVE BLACK. It’s a new documentary-style film short from The Soul of Philanthropy. It is a reminder that philanthropy is deeper than your pockets. Giving Black is about more than race or color, it is a consciousness and a culture. Good things to know and put into practice during this time of great need.
Please watch…and enjoy!
Watch our newest video Power of Ten
Original iContact communiqué: See The Power of Ten
June 8 marked the 10th anniversary of New Generation of African American Philanthropists. Celebration of the occasion took place on June 9 with a “White Party” at the Wadsworth Estate, where the giving circle’s initial gathering took place in 2006.
More than 60 circle members and friends attended the event. Tin Kitchen food truck was on site to prepare made-to-order specialty tacos and sliders with fresh gourmet ingredients. A Jazz trio, featuring bass player Tim Singh, performed throughout the evening. Photographers Ebony Stubbs and Michael Dantzler captured moments and scenes from the party, including NGAAP Charlotte’s annual group portrait.
A program with brief remarks from members was followed by a new video, chronicling the circle’s philanthropic work and membership from the past decade.
The celebration continues all year, and you are invited to participate in these ways:
Join us in exercising the power of 10!
![NBMBAA Leadership Forum 2016 v1[2]](https://valaida.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/nbmbaa-leadership-forum-2016-v12.jpg?w=584)
After fielding a variety of questions about The Soul of Philanthropy from inquiring museums, colleges, community-based nonprofits and funders, instead of a FAQ sheet, I decided to compile images from exhibitions and programs, to date.
Since pictures speak a thousand words (at least), photographs provide institutions that are interested in hosting the exhibit a window for visualizing their possibilities. My hope is that the compilation of photos—from the multimedia, comprehensive exhibit and the pop-up, abridged edition—allow people to observe variations and options for installation, based on a venue’s gallery space and the imagination of the exhibition designer. Set to classic soul music, the video speaks volumes about the multimedia exhibit and its public programs that reframe portraits of philanthropy.
Please watch, enjoy and share!
Note, you can follow my work on The Soul of Philanthropy via Facebook.
We not only alter the lens on philanthropy, we also amplify Black voices in a myriad of ways. Here’s a link to the latest Giving Back Project (GBP) e-blast, with highlights, pics and video on our new touring exhibit: Watch Us Amplify The Soul of Philanthropy
Almost three years ago, we produced our first GBP video [ philanthropy reframed ] to alter and amplify voices, views and vibes. Happy to see that video surpass 3000 views this week!
GBP is based on the premise that the people comprising our communities and philanthropic institutions would benefit, immensely, by changing the scope of how we all see ourselves and by listening to understand, more often and far better.
— VF
Sharing this again in celebration of National Poetry Month.
Three stories have come my way the last week or two, revealing how the video introducing Giving Back, titled [ philanthropy reframed ], is being used as a tool with a range of groups and in a variety of settings. Immense satisfaction fills me when I hear these stories. With a running time of a whopping 2.5 minutes, the book trailer took nearly as long to produce as the book and required eking out every ounce of my perseverance and resourcefulness.
So here’s one example of how and why the video is being shared with youth:
“Our Jack and Jill teens group is comprised of five young people in high school. …They are committed to philanthropy and giving back—a characteristic that will distinguish them as a small but mighty set of young people, and we are using ‘philanthropy reframed’ as an orientation to owning the language.”
Then there’s this example:
“I shared ‘philanthropy reframed‘ in a [church] seminar just this past week. Your personal advice about connection, audience and your speaking engagements touched me…a wonderful reminder of God’s grace, and how He works through people too.”
And then there’s this piece that was sent to a friend and then forwarded to me:
“… I was recently in a leadership training workshop and we viewed a short video that YOU were in!!! It was about the changing face of philanthropy. Basically African Americans’ increasing role in philanthropy…Many people from my leadership class (including myself) wanted a copy of that video! If you have it, can you forward me a link or URL to that video? It was super impact-ful!”
So if you’ve never seen it or it’s been a while, here it is . . .
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Queen of the Trumpet Valaida Snow, circa 1930
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
I suppose Shakespeare was right, but with a name as uncommon as Valaida, I’ve always believed my name has in some way influenced my tastes and style. You see, my mother named me after Valaida Wynn Randolph, her roommate and friend at Bennett College. And Ms. Randolph’s mother named her after the legendary jazz musician Valaida Snow.
If you’re unfamiliar with Valaida Snow, you are not alone. Somehow, after her death in the 1950s, her star failed to continue shining brightly as was the case with her contemporaries and fellow musicians Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Josephine Baker.
Here’s a little more about Valaida from Wikipedia:
She was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Raised on the road in a show-business family, she learned to play cello, bass, banjo, violin, mandolin, harp, accordion, clarinet, trumpet, and saxophone at professional levels by the time she was 15. She also sang and danced.
After focusing on the trumpet, she quickly became so famous at the instrument that she was named “Little Louis” after Louis Armstrong, who used to call her the world’s second best jazz trumpet player besides himself. She played concerts throughout the USA, Europe and China. From 1926 to 1929 she toured with Jack Carter’s Serenaders in Shanghai, Singapore, Calcutta and Jakarta.
Her most successful period was in the 1930s when she became the toast of London and Paris. Around this time she recorded her hit song “High Hat, Trumpet, and Rhythm”. She performed in the Ethel Waters show Rhapsody In Black, in New York. In the mid-1930s she made films with her husband, Ananias Berry, of the Berry Brothers dancing troupe. After playing New York’s Apollo Theater, she revisited Europe and the Far East for more shows and films.
Valaida lived an amazing, storied life, performing around the globe and thriving through trials and triumphs. Below is one of my favorite stories about her (hence the orchid accents here).
In fitting fashion, while performing at the Palace Theater in New York City, she collapsed on stage, suffering a fatal cerebral hemorrhage, and was buried on her birthday. Her final curtain call given with flair. Brava!
So today, on the anniversary of her birth (109 years ago) and her burial at age 51, I am remembering the Queen of the Trumpet Valaida Snow (June 2, 1904 – May, 30 1956), a jazz musician extraordinaire and my namesake, once removed.
Here’s a link to a YouTube video about Valaida’s life.
Exactly one month ago, our TEDx video, titled “A Picture Reframe: Philanthropy, Identity and Epiphany,” premiered on YouTube and then BlackGivesBack.com, so as this post’s title indicates . . .
This piece and this piece tell the story behind the speech about the stories behind the stories of Giving Back (yes, very meta).
You can finally see it for yourself as I am delighTED to share this TEDx video with you today! Oh and…you can read further about A Picture Reframed, my co-presentation at TEDxCharlotte 2013, here and here. Enjoy!
On 15 Feb 2013, Charles Thomas and I will be presenters at TEDxCharlotte. We hope you’ll register and come if you’re in the area.
UNLIMITED: Ideas Take Shape is this year’s theme for the annual, daylong creative forum. As collaborators on Giving Back, Charles and I will share what we learned while pursuing our idea of reframing portraits of philanthropy.
Here’s a taste of what you’ll experience . . .
If you’ve never attended TEDxCharlotte and want to know more, go here. And, if you’re unfamiliar with TED.com and its locally focused spin-off TEDx, go here, too.
After attending the last two years, I can tell you that TEDxCharlotte features a dozen or so selected presenters who share their ideas and 300+ participants who come to . . .
Seeing you at TEDxCharlotte 2013 would be great!
valaida 