By T’wina Nobles, CEO of the Black Future Co-op Fund
“To begin by always thinking of love as an action rather than a feeling is one way in which anyone using the word automatically assumes accountability and responsibility.” – bell hooks
Black Philanthropy Month 2023 is upon us, this year with the theme: Love in Action!
Inspired by the times and by beloved ancestor bell hooks’ writings on love as a necessary foundation for true social change, the month of August is an invitation to radically reimagine both the roots and the future of philanthropy.
Western notions of philanthropy and charity tend to evoke images of wealthy white benefactors reaching down from on high to fund whatever pet project is in vogue. Entirely dependent upon the capitalist hoarding of resources, this version of philanthropy can only reinforce the systems of oppression and marginalization it seeks to solve.
In 2020, during the protests against the murder of George Floyd, mainstream philanthropy found its latest trending issue, and made commitments in the billions of dollars towards racial justice efforts. Three years later, only a fraction of that money has made it to Black-led nonprofits.
Black philanthropy takes an entirely different approach. Take for example the well-known West African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” This illustrates the embedded cultural belief that the community’s most precious treasure—our children—are a community responsibility, that the future is in all of our hands. This belief has remained central to Black folks across the diaspora, and has been critical to our success and well-being.
Our children remain our motivation as we move collectively toward generational wealth, accessing the abundance that surrounds us. Structural racism has kept a persistent wealth gap in place, despite individual advances. As we raise awareness and celebrate the long history of Black giving, we continue to call for increased investment in Black communities. This Black Philanthropy Month, we encourage all those committed to liberation to take up the mantle of philanthropy as an extension of love, and abandon notions of benevolent saviorism.
Philanthropy as love—and love as action—challenges us to translate our commitments to one another into embodied ways of being. Within the Black community, it is well understood that this commitment goes beyond dollars and cents. Through our time, talents, and treasures, we have shown up for each other at church, in community child rearing, with mutual aid, and in our fraternities and sororities. We have held each other through times of tragedy and celebrated with each other during times of joy. We have shown up, and we have loved one another, on purpose and through action.
In direct opposition to longstanding racialized narratives, we are the best equipped to solve the challenges our communities face. Yet many Black-led organizations find themselves desperately underfunded. Traditional philanthropy fails to address these needs, with only 1.8% of traditional funds going toward Black-led organizations, according to ABFE.
This disparity was part of the driving force behind the founding of the Black Future Co-op Fund. Inspired by our African roots, we created our own model of philanthropy to ignite generational wealth, health and well-being. Our mission and vision are deeply rooted in love as action. Through building community connections, promoting truthful narratives, and direct financial investments, we are working towards a paradigm shift and empowered communities.
This August and beyond, we invite you to join us in celebrating our legacy of Black generosity, creating healing space between Black philanthropists and Black nonprofit leaders, and inspiring increased investment in Black communities by expanding Black philanthropy’s model of communal accountability.
We are responsible for one another, our destinies are tied together, and it is only by walking hand-in-hand that we can manifest the kind of love that breaks down barriers, heals generational wounds, and ensures a future that values our shared humanity. It is through love in action that we will all be set free.
T’wina Nobles is co-architect and CEO of the Black Future Co-op Fund, Washington’s first cooperative philanthropy created by and for Black people to ignite generational wealth, health, and well-being. She also serves as Washington state senator for the 28th district.
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