Story from our CEO - Februuary
Black History cannot be a mystery. Black History is 365.
And Black History is not just what happened, it is what we are building right now.
We are living in a time that will test our will. It will test our patience. It will test our love for our people and our belief in one another. And here is what I know to be true: we are not powerless. We are not alone. We are not starting from scratch. We are standing on the shoulders, steady, sacred shoulders of those who came before us.
From Marcus Garvey to Malcolm X. From Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu to Marcus Foster.
From Langston Hughes to James Baldwin. From Mary McCleod Bethune to Ella Baker.
From Huey P. Newton to Jesse Jackson.
Freedom has never been a solo act. It has always been a community, organized, disciplined, courageous community.
So today, I want to do more than acknowledge history. I want to activate it.
Because our young people don’t just need reminders, they need models.
Our families don’t just need inspiration, they need support.
Our communities don’t just need programs, they need people who show up and stay.
And that is what I see every day: people who show up.
I want to honor the Sisters and Brothers across the country who engage, encourage, and empower our children, families, and communities, especially those who do it when no one is clapping, when the funding is tight, when the headlines are loud, and when the work is heavy.
To my Queen, Sis LaShawn R. Chatmon, The Honorable Mayor, Barbara Lee, Congresswoman, Lateefah Simon, Sis Dr. Micia Mosely, Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, Dr. Mia Williams, Sis Dr. Keisha Scarlett, Sis Laticia Erving, Sis Dr. Zaretta Hammonds, Sis Dr. Dena Simmons, Sis Michelle Molitor, Sis Liz Thompson and Sis Tiffany Thompson, Sis Dr. Leah D. Hudnall, Sis Habeebah Rasheed Grimes, Sis Dr. Alicia Robinson, Sis Carmita Semaan, Sis Caroline CJ Johnson, Sis Selena Wilson, THANK YOU!
And to Bro Arnold Perkins, Bro Sharif El-Mekki, Bro Shawn Dove, Bro Ron Walker, Bro Andre Turner, Bro Dr. David Miller, Bro Dr. Pedro Noguera, Bro Dr. Joaquin Noguera, Bro Greg Hodge, Bro Dr. Shawn Ginwright, Bro Romero Wesson, Bro Matin Abdul-Qawi, Bro Dr. David Johns, Bros Amari, Kahlil and Jordon Chatmon, Bro Alonzo Henderson,Bro Brenden Anderson, Bro William Jackson, and Bro Ethan Ashley, THANK YOU!
Let me say it plain: We have what we need.
Our growth edge is not brilliance, it is organization.
Our gap is not talent, it is coordination.
Our future is being on purpose with our purpose. We must continue to Reach, Back and Retain.
That is UBUNTU. That is the radical act: care that becomes structure.
Radical locally. Moving globally. Planning strategically. Loving relentlessly.
Our cure is in our Culture. Our promise is in our people. Our strength is in our support.
And because tomorrow is not guaranteed, we cannot keep waiting to give people their flowers “later.” Later may not come for some of us. Later is how legacies get buried while leaders are still alive. We will practice abundance, not scarcity. We will practice a gratitude attitude. We will build will and skill and speak truth to power, while taking better care of ourselves.
In that spirit, I want to publicly thank The James Irvine Foundation, especially Don Howard, the Awards Selection Committee, and Capital Impact, for shining a light and investing in leaders who are building a better California with courage, imagination, and community-centered solutions.
Congratulations and deep respect to Sis Celina Alvarez, Sis Lian Chuen, Sis Darla M. Cooper, Sis Adriann Hillman, Sis Erin Garner-Ford, Bro Virgil Moorehead, Jr., and Sis Amy Mathieson. Your work matters. Your leadership matters. Your people matter.
And I want us to receive this message beneath the recognition: When our leaders are resourced, our communities breathe. When our communities breathe, our young people can dream. And when they can dream, they can build.
Last but not least, I had the honor of being in community with powerful Curators of our Culture in Cleveland, Ohio for the 50-year anniversary connected to Relay Cleveland at the Cleveland Library. Special thanks to Sis Leah D. Hudnall and Sis Michelle Molitor for the invitation and for creating space for truth.
Relay Cleveland is more than an exhibition. It is a reminder that our stories are evidence. Our memories are data. Our lived experience is scholarship. And when we tell the truth about what happened with school segregation, desegregation, and the long shadow it cast, we stop letting other people define our children’s reality.
History cannot be a mystery because mystery makes room for myth.
And myth makes room for harm.
So we tell the story. We carry the baton. We protect the lesson. We honor the people.
As we move through February, here is my direct ask to each of us:
Check on somebody. Mentor somebody. Feed somebody. Hire somebody. Refer somebody. Lift somebody’s name in a room they’re not in.
Show up at the meeting. Bring a friend. Share a resource. Make an introduction.
If you have capacity, GIVE. If you need support, ASK. If you’ve been isolated, come back to community.
Because we are not just celebrating Black History.
We are producing Black Futures.
Together.
In solidarity and love,
Bro Chris aka Baba C