Sam Lewis

Training starts next week!

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Have you seen the RFP for Youth Training and Career Development Services? The estimated Funding Amount Up to $1,033,383. In this video, I'll be diving into the Savannah RFP for youth training and career development services. I'll walk you through the key details, including the funding, program elements, and important guidelines. Plus, I'll share a quick tip on how you can propose this opportunity to your own county's workforce board. So, if you're interested in exploring this exciting RFP and potentially participating in the program, this video is for you. #montinaspeaks

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Project 2025's Chapter 11 called "Department of Education" is about gutting all protections for children who are gender-expansive. The document states they intend to rewrite Title IX and write laws that promulgate religious-based dogma. #stopproject2025

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Creating Pathways to Leadership for Black Women, here are three essential guidance points: ➡Invest in Tailored Leadership Development Programs: Recognize the unique challenges and strengths of Black women leaders and invest in leadership development programs specifically tailored to their needs. ➡Promote Inclusive Hiring and Promotion Practices: Implement inclusive hiring and promotion practices to ensure equitable access to leadership positions for Black women. Challenge biases in recruitment processes, create diverse interview panels, and establish clear pathways for career advancement based on merit and potential. ➡Cultivate a Supportive Organizational Culture: Foster a supportive organizational culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. Encourage open dialogue, address unconscious biases, and create opportunities for Black women to contribute their unique perspectives and talents. #KMBEmpowers #BlackWomenAtWork #EmpoweringBlackWomen #DiversityInLeadership #InclusiveLeadership #EquityAndInclusion #LeadershipDevelopment #EmpowermentThroughEducation #WomenInLeadership #BlackExcellence

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We must have tailored, focused approaches for our housing policies if this is a problem that we want decision makers to solve. The mentality that if we just build any and all housing - at any income for “all” - is not going to right the wrongs of the private market. It won’t solve racialized housing deprivation. The mentality that I don’t want “those kinds of people in my neighborhood” is not going to solve racialized housing deprivation either. Proud of the leadership of so many mission-driven organizations, local and regional leaders, and affordable housing developers who get this and put it into policies: - homeownership assistance programs with no-interest loans - anti-displacement analyses with meaningful mitigation measures in comprehensive plans, plan amendments, and infrastructure projects - density bonuses and by-right processes for affordable housing - audits and enforcement against racial steering and predatory lending

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Check out ThisWomansWords' 2024 Summer Reading List! ☀️📚☀️📚☀️📚 Keep your little ones entertained and inspired this summer with these fantastic children's books by some of my favorite authors! #ThisWomansBookshelf #ThisWomansWords #SupportBlackAuthors #SupportIndigenousAuthors #SummerReading

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What does it mean to sacrifice pieces of your identity for a greater movement? Being a black resource mobilizer in this work for me—and for many folks like me—means frequently engaging with a wealth system that was built on the backs of our ancestors. It means engaging with a sector and people that still have oppressive historical resonances and broadly a continual practice of excluding folks that look like me. I wonder a lot about what pieces I’ll find of myself left behind a decade from now. The pieces of myself I’ve lost, and those I’ve intentionally left behind in the wake of building something greater. As a Black woman in resource mobilization—especially earlier in my career—I definitely participated in cultural conformity in order to navigate predominantly white spaces in philanthropy. Attempting to assimilate to gain acceptance, modifying my speech and behavior… The emotional labor I shoulder even now often involves educating others about systemic racism, advocating for DEI in philanthropic and nonprofit spaces, and sometimes just being *me* in those spaces has been radical work in itself—many times sacrificing my own emotional well-being in the process. So I ask, what’s the true cost of sacrifice when it comes to our identity for a larger cause? Perhaps…perhaps we’re not leaving or trading pieces of ourselves but shedding a chrysalis to make room for potential movements we haven’t even dreamed of yet. Perhaps by sacrificing parts of our identity, we're not diminishing ourselves but evolving into vessels capable of carrying the aspirations of tomorrow's revolutions. Trading fragments for foundations—the currency of sacrifice in the pursuit of a greater movement… It sounds nice. That’s what I’ve told myself this decade in my career as I reflect on the Sadé of the past and as I keep moving forward. I wonder what the next Sadé a decade from now will say of the pieces left behind. What will yours say?

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The decision of whether or not to send children to boarding school varies greatly among families and communities, and several factors might influence black parents' decisions in this regard. Here are some considerations that may play a role: Many black families place a high value on community and family ties. Sending children to a boarding school might be seen as a separation from their cultural roots and support networks. There can be concerns about preserving cultural identity and ensuring that children grow up with a strong sense of their heritage. Boarding schools might not always provide an environment where black cultural practices and histories are emphasized which might be a consideration. However, there are significant benefits to sending black children to a boarding school, which includes: cultivatable diversity and experiences. Bou's especially do well in boarding schools, due to connecting with other boys.

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One of the greatest gifts the nonprofit sector has afforded me is a community of people who are just as committed to justice and liberation as I am. Join Us: Monday, June 3, 2024 at 9 AM ET FREE Virtual Event Register here: https://lnkd.in/eb5PvrJv Reimagining Nonprofit Boards Do nonprofit boards work for communities or are they extensions of American capitalism? Much has been written about nonprofit Boards of Directors and a lot of the discourse centers on outlining the board’s role in governance, best practices for board functioning, the need to leverage boards for fundraising, and how diverse boards can/should amplify the voices and solutions of impacted communities. And yet, the same issues continue to surface among nonprofit practitioners - the board doesn't reflect the community being served, emphasis on fundraising negatively impacts board commitments to diversity, the board doesn't understand the difference between governance and management, the board is disconnected from the issues we are trying to solve. What if we could imagine an alternative to the current nonprofit board's role and structure? How could things be different? Can we imagine a board not bound by the historical legal construct of current nonprofits; one too often tied to the traditional white dominant model of power and influence? Join us as we talk about what boards are like today, what we envision for boards, and some models to use for change. In this session, nonprofit leaders of all levels will learn ways to move the needle toward liberated governance that they can apply today and use to plan for the future. Presenters: Dr. Danielle R. Moss Cox and Brigid Lang, MPA, CFRE, CPC

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#Antiracist versus "Not Racist" ~Inspired by Ibram X Kendi, How to be Antiracist~ Antiracist -- 👁 Awareness: Being aware of your own biases, privileges, and how you benefit from white supremacy 👂 Listening: Leaning in and listening without centering your own experiences and whiteness; owning your mistakes and not getting defensive 📚 Education: Educating yourself on race, racism, and white supremacy; paying Black educators (not expecting free education) 🔊 Activism: Speaking out in your personal life, professional life, and social media, and calling people out/in as needed "Not Racist" -- 🙈 Colorblindness: Saying things such as "I don't see color" or "I don't care whether you are Black, white, or purple" 🗺 Proximity: Making comments like, "My husband/ kids/ uncle/ brother/ friend/ roommate is Black, so I can't be racist!" 🙉 Avoidance: Avoiding conversations about race and racism, and asserting that talking about racism perpetuates it 🔇 Silence: Staying silent when others make racist comments or jokes, noting that it's ok as long as you are not the one saying it #Antiracism #AntiracismEducation #AntiracistEducation POST CREDIT: Dr. Batsheva Guy ~Inspired by Ibram X Kendi, How to be Antiracist~

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Negative outcomes during the perinatal period for black moms and infants are disproportionately high. Fathers do, can and should be the first and strongest advocates for their families. We can support mom throughout the pregnancy by encouraging healthy foods and avoiding things like smoking and mitigating stress. We can also plan and advocate for her and baby throughout the birth and postpartum. The key to this is intentionality. Present Pillars Foundation and our partners will help dads answer some key questions: 1. Is the obvious question. What are the issues that are leading to poor outcomes? 2. What steps can I take to help ensure my families safety and wellbeing during pregnancy, birth and postpartum? 3. How does managing my own health play a role in the health and outcomes for my family? 4. How can I help spread the word?

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The Black woman archetype is a cultural and social representation of Black women that is often based on stereotypes and limited perspectives. It can include characteristics such as strength, resilience, and a nurturing nature, but can also perpetuate harmful stereotypes such as hypersexuality, aggression, and submissiveness. The Black woman archetype is often used to marginalize and oppress Black women, reducing their individuality and complexity to a narrow set of traits. It is important to recognize and challenge these limiting stereotypes and celebrate the diversity and richness of Black women's experiences and identities.

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Tomorrow and Tuesday, I will be back on the Hill speaking with Congressional Black Caucus members about the ways kidney disease ravages Black communities and what they can do to help improve the quality of life for their Black constituents at-risk for and living with kidney disease. Did you know: 💡 Black people are 4x more likely than white individuals to experience kidney failure and often “crash” onto dialysis by initiating this life-saving therapy emergently? Kidney disease is asymptomatic until its advanced stages. 💡 Black individuals have lower rates of doing dialysis at home? If you ride through under-resourced neighborhoods in the U.S., you’ll surely see dialysis centers on every other corner. 💡 Despite experiencing higher rates of kidney failure, Black kidney patients are less likely to be referred for transplant by their nephrologist? Kidney transplantation is the most optimal treatment for kidney failure. 💡 The Medicare End-stage Renal Disease benefit is basically universal healthcare for people with a kidney failure diagnosis but it eventually costs the government less to pay for kidney transplantation versus long-term dialysis care? This is personal to me. I, a Black woman, walked into an emergency room in 2005 to learn I was in kidney failure and needed dialysis. Fortunately, my nephrologist put me on peritoneal dialysis, a home dialysis modality, and I received a living donor kidney transplant from a courageous college friend in 2007. So, my purpose in life is to pay it forward by helping all kidney patients, but especially those who are most vulnerable, live their best lives by having access to high-quality, discriminatory-free healthcare. No theatrics, no performative narratives, just pure passion and tenacity advocating for people to live the width of their lives and not just the length of it. I hope the Hill is ready for me 🧡✊🏾 *The shared statistic is from the UK but the sentiment rings true here in the U.S. as well.

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Our film "Change the System: Building Black Wealth" looked at tackling #equity and the #racialwealthgap through #financialeducation. Here's the next play: Advancing #environmentalequity by providing #Oakland students with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) green buses, reducing #pollution in underserved neighborhoods, while putting #energy back into the grid via revolutionary #batterytechnology. 👍 Pacific Gas and Electric Company & Zūm.

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I agree with this 100%... affordable and accessible child care is needed for all working families who want it. Federal funding, funding, funding = more child care for those who need it! #childcare #federalfunding #MIworkingfamilies #affordablechildcare #accessiblechildcare

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 2, 2024 Cara McClure cara@faithandworkscollective.com Faith & Works gearing up to #FreeBlackMamas in time for Mother’s Day Ahead of Mother’s Day, Faith & Works Collective has joined a coalition of racial and criminal justice organizations across the country to bail out Black folks who would otherwise spend Mother’s Day in a cell because they are unable to afford bail. Since 2017, Faith & Works has freed 20 Black Mamas and caregivers from cages, providing services ranging from assistance with groceries to gaining their cars from impound and more. In the past few months, across the nation, our elected leaders are fanning the flames of fear, baselessly claiming that bail reform poses a threat to safety. Instead of addressing the root causes, we’re seeing an attack on community bail funds and an increase in pretrial detention populations. If we removed pretrial detention and money bail, it would create a fairer and more just system that doesn’t punish people for their poverty. Black women are jailed at twice the rate of white women, and many are the sole caretakers and providers for their families. When Black Mamas cannot afford to make their bail, they sit in cages, many lose their jobs, housing and even their children only to be found innocent. The cost to the children Black women and caregivers nurture, the partners they love and the communities they hold is incalculable. In the face of this, we stand united, knowing precisely what keeps our communities safe. It is not fear-mongering but a collective commitment to solutions. Through May 12, Faith & Works will reunite as many Black Mamas and caregivers with their families as possible so they can be home safely in time for Mother’s Day. Across Alabama, there are almost 47,000 people in cages, and nearly 1,000 of those held in the Jefferson County jail have not been convicted and are presumed innocent. Most people are in cages because they are poor, Black, and in a time of crisis, whether it is a mental health crisis, an addiction crisis, an economic crisis, or an accumulation of crises. Instead of treating people with dignity and addressing the underlying cause of the crisis, our government responds to Black people in crisis by criminalizing and incarcerating them. What if jails across Jefferson County were a little less crowded this Mother’s Day? Let’s work together to make that happen. #FreeBlackMamas. Help us bailout as many Black Mamas as possible this Mother’s Day by giving at www.freeblackmamasbham.com ####

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 2, 2024 Cara McClure cara@faithandworkscollective.com Faith & Works gearing up to #FreeBlackMamas in time for Mother’s Day Ahead of Mother’s Day, Faith & Works Collective has joined a coalition of racial and criminal justice organizations across the country to bail out Black folks who would otherwise spend Mother’s Day in a cell because they are unable to afford bail. Since 2017, Faith & Works has freed 20 Black Mamas and caregivers from cages, providing services ranging from assistance with groceries to gaining their cars from impound and more. In the past few months, across the nation, our elected leaders are fanning the flames of fear, baselessly claiming that bail reform poses a threat to safety. Instead of addressing the root causes, we’re seeing an attack on community bail funds and an increase in pretrial detention populations. If we removed pretrial detention and money bail, it would create a fairer and more just system that doesn’t punish people for their poverty. Black women are jailed at twice the rate of white women, and many are the sole caretakers and providers for their families. When Black Mamas cannot afford to make their bail, they sit in cages, many lose their jobs, housing and even their children only to be found innocent. The cost to the children Black women and caregivers nurture, the partners they love, and the communities they hold is incalculable. In the face of this, we stand united, knowing precisely what keeps our communities safe. It is not fear-mongering but a collective commitment to solutions. Through May 12, Faith & Works will reunite as many Black Mamas and caregivers with their families as possible so they can be home safely in time for Mother’s Day. Across Alabama, there are almost 47,000 people in cages, and nearly 1,000 of those held in the Jefferson County jail have not been convicted and are presumed innocent. Most people are in cages because they are poor, Black, and in a time of crisis, whether it is a mental health crisis, an addiction crisis, an economic crisis, or an accumulation of crises. Instead of treating people with dignity and addressing the underlying cause of the crisis, our government responds to Black people in crisis by criminalizing and incarcerating them. What if jails across Jefferson County were a little less crowded this Mother’s Day? Let’s work together to make that happen. #FreeBlackMamas. Help us bailout as many Black Mamas as possible this Mother’s Day by giving at www.freeblackmamasbham.com ####

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