Reparations & Philanthropy

January 28, 2019

Part of JACK’s ongoing series, Reparations365

In this community conversation, we’ll look at the relation between philanthropic giving and radical social change. We’ll explore examples of new philanthropic initiatives that look to shift power instead of maintaining the status quo, also looking at examples of philanthropy around racial justice that have done little more than further existing hierarchies. With special guests Amadee Braxton of the Leeway Foundation and, by video hook-up, Karen Ferguson, author of the book "Top Down: The Ford Foundation, Black Power, and the Reinvention of Racial Liberalism." Moderated by former JACK Co-Director DeeArah Wright.
​
LOCATION: JACK | 505 ½ Waverly Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238 | C or G train to Clinton-Washington

MORE INFO:

Amadee Braxton (Board Chair, Leeway Foundation) is a trainer and facilitator with Dragonfly Partners, specializing in organizational development and fundraising. For twenty years, she has worked inside non-profit organizations and as a leader in social change movements, supporting strategic thinking and developing emerging leaders. As a personal coach, Amadee supports people to flow freely toward their goals, gain trust and confidence in their leadership, and express their vision with authenticity. Amadee also is a writer, filmmaker and Usui Reiki Master. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and a Graduate Certificate from Temple University.

The Leeway Foundation supports women and trans* artists and cultural producers working in communities at the intersection of art, culture, and social change. Through grantmaking and other programs they promote artistic expression that amplifies the voices of those on the margins, promotes sustainable and healthy communities, and works in the service of movements for economic and social justice.

Karen Ferguson is associate professor of history and urban studies at Simon Fraser University and author of Top Down: The Ford Foundation, Black Power, and the Reinvention of Racial Liberalism and Black Politics in New Deal Atlanta.

DeeArah Wright (moderator) is an artist, educator, strategist, and mover based in Brooklyn. She has facilitated opportunities for people of all ages to self-empower and to work together for collaborative greatness. She is currently Director of Education at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Before that, DeeArah was Co-Director of JACK, with Alec Duffy, from 2016 - 2018. In 2010, she founded Gather Brooklyn, which has powered community engagement through: marketplaces, partnerships, community-space management, youth arts programming, and strategic consultation. In 2014, she was the Community Liaison for Creative Time and Weeksville Heritage Center’s funkgodjazz&medicine: Black Radical Brooklyn. She has further supported artists’ development and community engagement practice through organizations such as The Laundromat Project, The Field, and Urban Bush Women. DeeArah's current adventures include cooperative initiatives, revolutionary educational framework, and writing.

Reparations365 is JACK's series of performances, workshops and discussions around the topic of distributive justice for Black Americans. Launched in February 2017, the series consists of public offerings featuring a convergence of scholars, artists and activists. The series includes several community conversations, panel discussions and interactive workshops curated with the participation of our neighbors and members of the artistic and activist community in New York. Through the series, participants discover multiple ways to engage with the topic, all with an intention of offering tangible take-ways for participants and a concrete movement forward. The People's Think Tank emerged out of the series in order to offer a way for participants to brainstorm together next steps for real change.

This series is made possible by a Humanities New York Action Grant, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and from many individual donors.