A Statement of Solidarity and Action
Our hearts break for the families of George Floyd, David McAtee, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, Eric Gardner, Tony McDade, and the countless names of unknown and known lives taken needlessly and too soon. For over four hundred years, Black Americans and communities of color have experienced innumerable attacks driven by institutional racism, anti-Black structures and sentiment, and the ugliness of white supremacy. The US, through power, policies, and practices across institutions, has created a system that continues to foster structural racism.
The Philanthropy Connection stands in solidarity with Black Americans and communities of color. In line with our mission, we must work to eliminate structural inequalities and promote racial justice. We recognize that systemic changes are necessary to build a more just society in which Black lives truly matter.
As part of this ongoing journey, TPC has revised its belief statements to better reflect and articulate our commitment to our collective values. Specifically,
- We believe that understanding and dismantling systemic inequities, and intentionally including diverse experiences, perspectives, and voices in our community enable TPC and its grantees to achieve more informed, impactful outcomes.
- We believe in creating and sustaining a community that is inclusive, equitable, diverse, and fosters a brave space to which all people can bring their whole identities and authentic selves.
- We believe that building relationships and genuine connections is critical to cultivating the next generation of diverse women philanthropists.
To our members, grantees, and supporters who are Black, we hear you, we see you. We acknowledge your feelings – be they of sadness, fear, anger, or frustration – at the state of our country and the growing list of abject cruelties directed against your community. TPC asserts that Black Lives Matter and stands firmly with your communities to work toward anti-racism. TPC believes that you deserve to have a safe space, today and always, to voice your truth, without condemnation or judgment. We pledge to honor this by creating and developing programming that creates space for you to be heard and for our organization to foster positive social change from within.
To our members, grantees, and supporters who are non-Black People of Color, we acknowledge the harm caused by prejudice, racism, and discrimination against communities of color. We support you in naming and challenging how anti-Blackness and racism manifest in your communities and we stand alongside you in condemning the white supremacy and racism that fuels racialized violence.
To our members, grantees, and supporters who are White, the responsibility for addressing systemic racism does not solely belong to the people whose lives are literally at stake. If we fail to understand our country’s history of oppression and its ramifications in our institutions and our households, if we nod in agreement with statements of support but fail to take action, then we are complicit in systemic racism. Now is the time to engage with your families, schools, and communities to actively participate in this movement for change. We urge you to listen to the voices of Black people, to educate yourself, to move past discomfort, and to take action in making anti-racism a priority.
Since TPC’s founding, we have made grants to many organizations that work to make systemic change and have held many educational dialogues to inform our members about social injustice. The Philanthropy Connection commits to taking action as an organization to advance an anti-racist dialogue and to further learning across generations. We will continue to support organizations working toward positive social change with and for the communities that face structural racism.
TPC has created and will continue to update a resource list that can be found on our website here. Following are several resources for your immediate consideration:
Some suggestions for donations:
What to watch and listen to:
- 13th Documentary (Netflix)
- When They See Us Series (Netflix)
- 1619 Project (New York Times Podcast)
What to read:
- How to Be an Antiracist (best-selling book by Ibram X. Kendi)
- White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism (best-selling book by Robin DiAngleo)
- Waking Up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race (best-selling book by Debbie Irving)
- A Guide To Allyship
- More Anti-racism resources
How to take action:
- 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
- Support Black-owned Bookstores
- How to talk to your children about protests and racism
Moving forward, TPC commits to further action that will include developing more robust learning and educational opportunities that address systemic racism and identifying improvements to make our grants process more equitable and inclusive. We invite you to take part and contribute. We have more to do. Please share your needs, your ideas, your learnings, and your challenges with us at diversity@