As you all know, Future Leaders in Action has taken a hiatus, choosing to not have a cohort of follows for the Summer 2020 season as we adjust to a new world in pandemic.But staying quiet during what can only be described as a reckoning in this nation - the collective, public mourning of Black people murdered by police, the uprising and protest movement and centering of Black voices - feels wrong. Is wrong. And is antithetical to our mission of supporting the development of the next generation of nonprofit leaders.So we'll be centering Black voices and thoughts on the nonprofit world's role in this movement and its own internal reckonings that have already begun. We're proud to be a part of that.
Future Leaders, we're eager to support you and the causes you hold dear. Please share with us (through DM, email, or in response to our upcoming alumni newsletter) how you're finding a place in this movement and we'll cheer you on and amplify. To our supportive community, please share with us the initiatives and new opportunities that may be in development. Thank you all.
Paid Fellowships and Internships are Vital to Creating Equity in the Social Sector
by Yovanna Solomon, Summer ‘19
In my work with the social sector I have often observed a disconnect between the well-meaning founders of organizations and the people to whom it is these organization’s mission to serve. As is commonly the case, the underrepresentation of Black and brown people in positions of leadership is a reflection of the very same inequity that the social sector seeks to combat with programming and services. How can organizations effectively serve Black and brown people without having Black and brown people on their team? They simply cannot.
The Privilege of Volunteering: Navigating the Mess That is Free Labor
by Kai Joy, Fall ‘19
Ultimately we need to be working towards being “accomplices” and “comrades”, we need to struggle together, to build trust in one another. Notions of the “ally” as separate from the “oppressed victim”: of the volunteer tutor as separate from the student, these dynamics defeat us all. While there may not be universal solutions or easy answers to many of these challenges and questions, I hope that thinking through this with me has at least given you the framework to think critically about outreach and volunteer management in general. I know I will be taking all of these lessons with me long after this fellowship.
Read the rest of the blog here.
Curving the School-to-Prison Pipeline Through Mindfulness
by Brittany Harris, Spring ‘18
Youth in underserved urban communities are key victims of “sleep-walking” and face risks for many stress-related outcomes, including social-emotional barriers, behavior problems, and low academic achievement. I have become increasingly interested in the intersections of school discipline, low educational attainment, and juvenile offenders. My theory is that, if more schools and community organizations educated youth on mindfulness, school suspension rates would reduce and education outcomes would increase.
Read the rest of the blog here.
An Exploration of Intrinsic Beauty
by YoVanna Solomon, Summer ‘19
It seemed only right that I create an opportunity for a group of young brown and black girls to broaden their perceptions of beauty and celebrate all that makes them beautiful. On a Wednesday afternoon, I stood in front of a group of sixteen high school and middle school girls asking them to (re)define intrinsic beauty. “When I say the word beauty what do you think of? Who do you think of? What makes us beautiful,” I asked.