Dear friends and neighbors,
We ended 2020 with resilience and resolve, understanding that while, yes, there is a light at the end of our pandemic tunnel, there is also much to do to heal and rebuild. The inequalities in our society have been exacerbated, racial injustices magnified, and our ability to tangibly connect to one another practically eliminated. And yet, our community continues to show up. Our community continues to lean in. Our community is committed to being there for each other. It is humbling to witness, and our hearts are filled with gratitude for you.
The insurrection that occurred on January 6 was heartbreaking and terrifying. But, not surprising. Our nation’s history is riddled with examples of white supremacist terror filling our streets. Our communities of color are all too familiar with its image and exhausted by its relentlessness. Now is the time to confront our history and our present and identify ways that each of us either actively or passively uphold or actively dismantle white supremacy.
Thank you to everyone who has committed to deepening their inner work on racial equity by joining us for a Conversation on Race. There will be more opportunities to engage in the coming months. We will continue to identify and undo ways that our funding practices and behaviors build barriers to entry. It is our job to open doors.
Your community foundation made a formal commitment to equity in 2018 though that commitment was evident from our onset. We believe our community is stronger when all people - women and men, children, older adults, immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, those with varying abilities and from all faiths - are respected, welcomed, and invited to share their assets and contributions in community building. As always, we encourage you to take local action and invite you to join us in our ongoing leadership work that includes grant-making, outreach, and advocacy.
We do this together.
Warmly,
Tatiana Hernandez, CEO
“And yes, we are far from polished
far from pristine
but that doesn't mean we are
striving to form a union that is perfect
We are striving to forge a union with purpose
To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters, and conditions of man
And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us
but what stands before us.”
Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate