During a recent visit to an Afrofuturism exhibit, I was struck by a simple but profound question: If past injustices have shaped our current realities, what does that mean for our futures? This question has stayed with me since our All Staff Gathering in Montgomery, Alabama, last month. It challenges us to imagine futures not constrained by the systems we inherited, but inspired by the futures we can create. 

I did not learn resilience and how to work towards a more equitable future because of today’s political climate. Growing up in Barbados and the South Bronx shaped how I understand community, belonging, justice, and opportunity, and has made me resilient, committed, and, most importantly, hopeful. Over the course of my life and career, I have been welcomed into rooms where my voice was valued, and I have been outside closed rooms where I had to work twice as hard to get the chance to enter. I have experienced the privilege that comes with leadership and the marginalization that comes with being a Black woman navigating institutions that were not designed with unapologetic leaders like me in mind.  

As a result, I have learned that systems can either expand or constrain access to opportunity. I have also learned that difficult moments do not last forever, and they can prepare us not simply to survive, but to build something stronger on the other side.  

During our time in Montgomery, Bryan Stevenson reminded us that we must stay proximate to the people and communities most affected by injustice. Through the Equal Justice Initiative, he has shown us that confronting difficult truths is essential to creating the conditions for a more just future. That lesson also extends to philanthropy. If we are serious about advancing justice, we must be willing to ask harder questions, not only about where resources flow, but about who defines the problems, who shapes the solutions, who determines acceptable risk, and who ultimately holds power. 

Read the full article about a more just future for philanthropy by Nicole Campbell at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.