The violence, the peaceful protests and civil unrest in communities across Michigan and our nation are stark reminders that this country’s original sin – racism – is an open wound that some experience every day. We are not that “more perfect union.”

The brutal act that took the life of George Floyd comes at a time when so many of us are experiencing feelings of isolation, fear and frustration due to COVID-19. These are some of the same feelings that many persons of color understand all too well. Our task at hand is to act on our love for humankind – the true embodiment of philanthropy.

I have struggled with my own role as a leader, especially as a man of color. How can I help move us forward? This is the question for all of us as leaders in philanthropy. While there are many who are working hard to advance progress, some may be struggling to find that way forward, perhaps needing support and guidance out of this morass.

Our community of philanthropy has made progress calling out the need for diversity, to be inclusive. Our work has been grounded in equity, but we also know there is much more to do. We see the result of racial inequities across all areas of our work, from the environment to education, from aging to economic development.

Our role is to neither quell the fury of those experiencing the sharp pain of injustice, nor to stoke the flames of anger. We must create safe places for our communities to come together, to create ways of exploring the possible.

How do we do that? 

We begin by bringing the conversation of equity into every convening of our stakeholders and not shy away from the hard issues. Saying that it is beyond our scope or responsibility is no longer sufficient. We must set the table for these conversations. Equity is not something that happens alongside of our work. It is our work. 

We have a crucial role, to shine a light on the way forward by bringing everyone on this journey. We can support dialogue between those who are calling for change and those who truly don’t see or don’t understand these deeply ingrained societal problems. In our role as trusted conveners, we can give communities the support to do this challenging and essential work together.  

Much of our sector brings decades of expertise to the work of creating community-driven solutions and engaging with partners to bring those solutions to scale. In this time of crisis, we must lean on our strengths to expand opportunities for civil discourse and shared understanding, and include all who want to bend the arch of humanity toward justice.

CMF is committed to exploring and learning with you, to providing leadership for the field and serving as a partner on your journey. Our CMF staff is continuing our own journey, as well. We are eager to support your work and help bring about peace, equality and justice.   

Our Michigan community of philanthropy is hyper connected, solutions oriented and perpetually optimistic. We are also remarkably resilient. We must be the leaders our communities need to ensure that the opportunity for resilience is accessible to all.