I have spent the last few weeks and months feeling overwhelmed, angry, and — in moments -astounded by what is happening in our world. It has been frightening to learn of the outsized impact COVID-19 has had on Black communities and then to watch another Black man murdered at the hands of the police. It is too much, and it is too familiar, all of it.

As a Latina, I feel it is important to center Blackness in this moment. What we are witnessing — both with COVID-19 and with systemic violence — are diseases whose impacts are shaped and defined by anti-Black racism. Of course, racism exists for Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans. But this country’s racism, and the racism that lives in many countries, including El Salvador, my family’s country of origin, is rooted in and thrives on anti-Blackness. We must be willing to deal with how deeply it is embedded in the culture of this country and in everything we do, from how we do business, to the language we use or don’t use, from our interpersonal relationships to our point of view about the police. Most of all, we have to admit all the ways in which we look away when we are not comfortable, and in doing so, continue to perpetuate this problem.

Many non-Black people and institutions have issued statements about their commitment to being allies. What does that mean? To me, an ally connotes an alignment that serves a purpose but isn’t necessarily deep — a relationship that is essential to achieve some goal. I don’t love the term. Being an ally is necessary but insufficient to achieve the kind of long-term change that is called for. So, what does it mean to really and truly center Black people in the struggle for racial justice in philanthropy? I believe we must do the following:

  • Interrogate this moment and all its challenges
  • Stop thinking about Black-led organizations as in need of capacity building
  • Ask all organizations about their racial justice framework
  • Ask white-led organizations about how race fits into the work they do
  • Challenge boards of directors to elevate issues of race

Read the full article about being more than an ally by Sandra J. Martínez at Medium.