By now, most if not all of us have gotten an email from our institutions and leadership denouncing the heinous crimes we have seen take place in our country against people of color. But the question is, now what? My conversation with Birgit Smith Burton, (Executive Director of Foundation Relations, Georgia Institute of Technology)only scratches the surface of an issue Birgit has been working on for decades.
I want to start this episode with a disclaimer: Of course there is precedent of conversations with people of color in development, I am not a pioneer—but we all must embrace our personal role in making continuous, systemic, and long-lasting change in the face of racism. It is our responsibility to take the time to listen to what our black colleagues experience on a daily basis. This episode aims to explore the question of what is next, and to inspire our listeners to make their own plan for change.
Birgit's recommended reading: www.aadonetwork.com, afpglobal.org/issue-racism-fundraising-profession, www.amazon.com/What-Say-Wrong-Thing-Culturally/dp/1614389713, www.amazon.com/Waking-White-Finding-Myself-Story/dp/0991331303
