William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s Post

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Today, we commemorate Juneteenth, a day that signifies freedom and progress in American history. On Juneteenth, we recognize how far we’ve come as a nation while also acknowledging the ongoing struggle for racial equality and justice.     #Juneteenth marks the day that the last enslaved African Americans learned of their freedom more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and freed more than 250,000 enslaved people. Today, the holiday’s historical legacy is honored with festivals, parades, and family gatherings in cities nationwide. It also serves as an opportunity to stand in solidarity with the Black community by supporting Black-owned businesses, contributing to causes, or engaging in community service or volunteer opportunities to promote social justice, education, and dismantle systemic inequalities.     On behalf of the Black Employee Resource Group at #SKDK, Sloane & Company, and Jasper Advisors, we recognize Juneteenth as an opportunity to acknowledge the past and commit to building a stronger, more equitable future. Through internal efforts prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion and external partnerships with organizations and institutions like Howard University, AdPR Academy, and The Posse Foundation, our firms carry out their commitment and advance an environment of respect and appreciation for all cultures and backgrounds.    Learn more about the history and significance of Juneteenth:   https://lnkd.in/dQP3RmM 

So much positive solutions to arise from these types of initiatives. Take advantage of it.

Preserving Black cultural heritage and spaces is a compelling project of recovering an inheritance of perseverance and creativity. By locating, maintaining, and sharing the stories of Black families and communities, we rediscover the meaning of kinship, social justice, and political innovation. In the face of a history of racism and prejudice that has undermined Black intergenerational wealth, could Black cultural heritage provide a way for us to also recognize and value Black intergenerational worth?

Robert F. Smith says🔊#more #to #be #done #beyond advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion. We #must: ✅#broaden our #focus to include #economic #justice – and we can do this by providing #opportunities for #prosperity and #investing in the infinite #potential of #future #generations. ✅#build the #economic #infrastructure needed to #bridge the #racialwealthgap. ✅#invest in #education, #digital #technology and the #talent #pipeline to help close opportunity gaps that affect #Black #Americans, including the #generationalwealthgap.

Observing #BlackHistoryMonth requires more from us than simply acknowledging its place on the calendar. It requires us to actively seek out the impacts of Black contributions to society within our own communities--and we look forward to sharing more stories of Black History in Delray Beach this month. 📆 On Wednesday, June 3, 2020, the EJS Project, along with a group of community leaders, organized and led one of the largest peaceful protests to ever occur in Delray Beach. It was important for us to participate in this movement against police brutality and injustices to demonstrate to our students and community that we were and are willing to walk the walk of our core values, which include creating equity of opportunity and challenging systems. 🪧 By organizing swiftly, we aimed to convey a clear message that Black Lives Matter, even before the national momentum peaked. Through proactive leadership, including the involvement of Delray Beach's first Black Police Chief, Javaro Sims, and community engagement, we created a platform for individuals to unite, voice their concerns, and stand in solidarity during this challenging historical period. 📸: Pictured on the front lines of our peaceful protest are a Pastor, the first Black Police Chief in Delray Beach, leaders from Haitian Community, and hundreds of others following as far as the eye can see. #BlackLivesMatter #BlackHistory #DelrayBeach #FloridaBlackHistory #PeacefulProtest

Some hard truths in here for our sector, which remains deeply colonial and locked in white supremacist thinking. And I know a lot of white folk reading it will think 'Oh but I don't have any power...I'm not at X, Y or Z level' - or 'I wouldn't let someone get away with being a blatant racist!' ...but this isn't about whether you're the boss, or calling out the instances of what we've come to consider the sum total of racism, instead of the structural force that is. It's a chance to recognise the power and influence you *do* have and using it effectively. That's how we can dismantle this messed up house of cards that we prop up with our compliance. So, if you're a white environmentalist - wherever you sit in your organisation - how can you embed justice into your day to day? How can you use your voice to call out the practices that continue to cement discrimination? Can you challenge the notions of land ownership, of doing conservation 'to' people, of using extractive ways of working that exploit Black people, Brown people and people of colour? I'm not writing this from the haughty place of a right-on white dude that thinks he has it sorted. I'm trying to come to terms with the consequences of my own action (and inaction), to name my own racism, to deal with shame and to get better at challenging problematic things that I've internalised as normal. It's a messy journey but one we've got to get serious about if we want to address the multiple crises we're facing down. Some books that have been fundamental for me personally: The Good Ally - Nova Reid It's Not That Radical - Mikaela Loach Unearthed - Claire Ratinon

For many who are involved in nature conservation the key thing is to get others to give a damn and to build support but one of the reasons we're failing is that, collectively we're still not putting effort into addressing the lack of connection. We can happily criticise past and present governments for wrong-headed, ill-considered priorities that don't address environmental realities but, despite limited, recent initiatives there is a need for the nature conservation sector to change and to seek guidance as to how to accomplish this.

It's Black History Month! In 2023, the theme is 'Saluting our Sisters'. Cherron Inko-Tariah MBE says "The theme Saluting our Sisters pays homage to black women who had contributions ignored, ideas appropriated, and voices silenced." Lois Donegal, Communities and Youth Communications Officer at London Wildlife Trust, wrote the blog 'Black History Month: Access to all things nature' about "the history behind why the Black community and other communities of colour are statistically more likely to have less access to green spaces; how these communities are taking action to create change, and [London Wildlife Trust's] role as an environmental organisation in supporting that change." Lois explores the history behind accessibility in nature, the Black communities' 'hidden figures' who have influenced Britain's natural history, the barriers people of colour experience when accessing nature in the UK, and the steps the Black community are taking to reclaim their right to nature. Read Lois' blog: https://bit.ly/46LgSQW #blackhistorymonth #accessibility #nature

Representation matters. Did you know that only 1.5% of the places listed in the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio relate to Black heritage? And in Cleveland—where approximately half of residents identify as Black—only 4% of National Register listings represent Black heritage. Cleveland Restoration Society is working to increase the representation of African American cultural heritage sites in the National Register. We are honored to be one of 21 recipients of an Underrepresented Communities grant from the National Park Service, which will enable us to nominate six historic Black churches to the National Register of Historic Places: Advent Evangelical Lutheran, Emmanuel Baptist, Greater Abyssinia Baptist, Greater Friendship Baptist, Nazarene Baptist, and New Life at Calvary. Read more about the Underrepresented Communities grant program and award recipients at https://lnkd.in/dHaHhraR