28 Days of Black Nonprofit Leaders

come celebrate

with me that everyday

something has tried to kill me

and has failed.

- Lucille Clifton, “won’t you celebrate with me”

I love Black History Month. If you don’t know the story of how Black History Month came about, I’ll give you about 60 seconds to go read about it and then come right back. I love Black History Month because it gives everyone a dedicated time of year to reflect on the positive contributions that Black people have made over the years. I love Black History Month because it makes me think about how proud I am of my people and how far we’ve come all the way from being oppressed by that “peculiar institution” called slavery in this place called America.

I also love Black History Month because it reminds me of how far we still have to go in this country in terms of race relations and giving everyone a fair chance to take part in the “American Dream.” How far we still have to go before Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream of social justice and economic opportunity for everyone will be realized. Fortunately, there are countless leaders out there who are continuing to address so many aspects of social change.

This month (inspired by Wayne Sutton), I’ll be highlighting 28 Black nonprofit leaders who have done or are doing their part to make our world a bit better, a bit more hopeful for the generations that will come. No original interviews, just photos; bios; videos and links to their amazing work. Every day, I’ll showcase a different leader. I hope you’ll tune in and share this series with your colleagues!

Photo credit: bermy onionpatch