Being a part of The San Francisco Foundation’s Multicultural Fellowship Program has driven me to think about my work in a way that it is reflective of the Bay Area’s spirit of cultivating change and closing gaps of social inequity. In the months before the start of my fellowship, it had been my hope that [...]
The influential Japanese filmmaker, Akira Kurosawa declared that to be an artist means never averting one’s eyes. This artistic approach of not flinching, of making a commitment to expose, educate, and sometimes call out the injustices of our society is the trademark of a great documentary filmmaker. Though not specifically referring to documentaries, Kurosawa’s quote [...]
I lead The San Francisco Foundation’s Multicultural Fellowship program, so it would behoove me to support it. But my passion for the Fellowship goes way beyond a job or mere alignment, maybe even beyond what’s politic. Why do I love the Fellowship? Let me count the ways. Because each cohort of incoming Fellows comes to [...]
My daughter was working on her homework last night. Wordly Wise is the book that her 7th grade class uses to build vocabulary skills. It includes words like: placated, gruesome, garrison, grievous, erroneous. I thought to myself, we should add sequestration for surely it is the word of the day. Only problem is trying to [...]
As the country moves towards addressing immigration reform, an affinity group of funders supporting faith-based organizing hosted an eclectic mix of scholars, funders, researchers, and others who are actively organizing on the issue of immigration. What is the state of organizing by faith-based organizations? It’s all about opportunities and hope. The session, “Building Bridges, Building [...]
At the Koshland Program, it’s all about solutions that begin at the local level, with deep local understanding. That’s why we’re elated when we learn of community leaders like West Berkeley Koshland Fellow, Reverend Michael McBride, was among the 12 faith leaders who met with Vice President Biden last month to give recommendations for his [...]
It seems that the date for when the United States will become “majority minority” (as it was first labeled) is fast approaching and approaching faster. Years ago the projected date for this shift was 2050. In 2008 the Census Bureau updated their projection to 2042, and children will become majority minority by 2019. But the [...]
It is rare when past, present, and future aspirations come together at the same point in time in the arc of history. This week was just that time, as the buzz of climate change and community resilience reached what seems to be a fevered pitch. On Monday’s Presidential Inauguration, Obama devoted a large portion of [...]
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words are at the heart of our foundation’s commitment to justice, leadership and community building undergirding all our programs and community partnerships. Dr. King said, “As long as there is poverty in the world I can never be rich, even if I have a billion dollars. As long as [...]
It’s a term used in the state education code, referring to the responsibility schools, and other education institutions, have to act in place of their students’ parents, especially in ways that ensure their civil liberties are upheld. It’s the law, and it applies to all students. Not just the students who show up on time, [...]