Last week, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. came to Charlotte to deliver his lecture “Finding Your Roots” and I was project manager of the nearly sold-out event hosted by the Gantt Center. Luckily I was able to share my book as a gift to him . . . and have a friend snap this photo.
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!
Margot Jordan, photographer
People talk a lot about “finding your purpose.” I generally don’t think about life or my pursuits in exactly those terms. Yet, when I see or hear from people whom I’ve never met, living in distant places clutching or glowing about Giving Back, I think I might have found mine.
Above is a photo of Neosha who won Giving Back: A Tribute to Generations of African American Philanthropists as a giveaway during the recent Friends of Ebonie event, “Defining Young Black Philanthropy,” in Washington, DC.
The panel discussion and networking event, organized by Ebonie Cooper Johnson, was featured in The Washington Post and The Huffington Post. HuffPo asked, Will Black Millennials be the next wave of philanthropists? noting that “the days of old, rich men dominating the philanthropy space are long gone.”
I’m thrilled that attention is heightening and the frame is indeed widening around philanthropy and Black donors, across every generation—Millennial, Gen Y, Gen-X, Boomer and Greatest.
#getyourgiveon
Until the lion writes his own story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter. — African proverb
Sharing glorious stories of African American philanthropy at Poor Richard’s Book Shoppe during Black History Month 2013 with members of New Generation of African American Philanthropists! (Photos by Michael Sales)
We’re Bringing “Giving Back” . . .
Here’s your invitation!
We’re Bringing ‘Giving Back’ at Poor Richard’s Book Shoppe is a free and family-friendly gathering, centered on Black Philanthropy. The evening of the 23rd will include:
Poor Richard’s, a family-operated business in uptown Charlotte, is a full-service, independent bookstore and multi-cultural venue.
New Generation of African American Philanthropists (NGAAP-Charlotte), a CIN giving circle, comprises member-donors who pursue a mission “to promote philanthropy—the giving of time, talent and treasure—among African Americans in the Charlotte region, with the goal of enhancing the quality of life within our communities.”
We’re aiming to do for philanthropy what Justin does for sexy. Well…we’re certainly trying.
— VF
“Whereas our ancestors (not of choice) were the first successful cultivators of the wilds of America, we their descendants feel ourselves entitled to participate in the blessings of her luxuriant soil.” — Richard Allen
As a descendent of Africans on America’s “luxuriant soil,” I relish celebrating and honoring my ancestors—their struggles, courage, achievements and imprint on our country’s history. In celebration of Black History Month, each day in February I’ll post a short story or other info about history makers, pathfinders and do-gooders in the realm of African American philanthropy.
Today, we honor Richard Allen (1760–1831), a minister, educator and writer, and the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Allen also was co-founder in 1787 of the Free African Society, which represents an early form of collective giving. His selfless deeds during the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 well as his formidable role in founding of the Black church, place him among the early framers of American philanthropy (as I talked about here).
— VF (#BHM Day One)
In November 2011, right after the release of Giving Back and during filming for the book’s trailer [ philanthropy reframed ], we created this 3-minute piece….I call it my micro biopic.
After a year, we finally carved out time to complete this short film and just posted it to YouTube yesterday. Watch. Enjoy. Share.
Here’s my year-end interview with Chad Jones, executive director of Community Investment Network. The conversation allowed me to reflect on the past year, share some thoughts and experiences, and envision the best scenarios in 2013.
Valaida Fullwood, is a founding member of Charlotte’s New Generation of African American Philanthropists giving circle as well as a member of the CIN board since 2009. Yet, she is becoming most recognizable as the author of Giving Back: A Tribute to Generations of African American Philanthropists. In late December, Valaida answered the following questions, from Chad Jones.
________
CJ: What have been three highlights of 2012?
VF: It seems 2012 was overflowing with remarkable experiences. If I must choose only three, the ones that stand out at this moment are:
Race Conference in San Francisco, where I…
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Receiving the call about Giving Back winning the 2012 McAdam Book Award for “the best new book for the nonprofit sector” was without question a major high point this year. Honestly, there were so many exhilarating experiences that it’s impossible to rank them.
Charles W. Thomas Jr., photographer
Remarkable sums up the past year of rolling out and publicizing Giving Back. We’ve marked many milestones since the book’s release 15 months ago.
The greatest honor in 2012, however, was the opportunity to engage with a cross-section of audiences—totaling more than 5,000 people across the country—and to participate in conversations about building community and philanthropy. In person. In print. On air. Online. These exchanges of ideas have been enlightening and gratifying.
Over the course of 2012, I gained a deeper comprehension of the biblical parable in Luke that includes the passage: to whom much is given much is expected. While I remain eternally grateful for a year that brought a multitude of blessings, I also have become profoundly aware of the weight of great expectations. Granted, a good many of those expectations were set sky high by my limitless imagination.
My prayer today is to step into 2013 with more faith, patience, humility and strength to receive gifts granted and then in turn to give even more than expected.
With those thoughts, I wish you a bright and wonder-filled New Year!
— VF
valaida 