From A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities: The 2023 James A. Joseph Lecture and Awards follow a decades-long tradition of recognizing Black excellence in philanthropy. Ambassador Joseph was a civil rights activist, a former ambassador to South Africa, an adviser to four American presidents, and one of the pioneering founders of ABFE. This year’s lecture and award ceremony will be the first since his recent passing on February 17, 2023 and there will be a video tribute to honor his impact and legacy in the sector and beyond.

“The entire ABFE family is deeply impacted by the passing of Ambassador Joseph and something that brings a glint of hopefulness to this time of grief is that we know his legacy lives on in these honorees,” said ABFE President and CEO Susan Taylor Batten. “There are countless individuals and institutions doing great philanthropic work in Black communities, but only a handful earn this award each year. We are happy to further ABFE’s and Ambassador Joseph’s mission with these very worthy philanthropic waymakers.”

Each year, three individuals and one institution are selected for this prestigious honor. Please join us in recognizing the 32nd Annual James A. Joseph Lecture and Award honorees!

From Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees: Earlier this year, GCIR released our 2023 Public Policy Agenda, a set of federal and state reforms that would advance immigrant justice and power across the country. From calling for pathways to naturalization for Afghan arrivals and DACA holders to opposing policies that increase immigrant detention, GCIR stands with community leaders and coalitions leading the charge on these critical issues. In this learning session, we will dive into three top priority issues for immigrant justice advocates:

287(g): a program that empowers local law enforcement to act as ICE agents.
The “Asylum Ban”: President Biden’s new proposal limiting access to asylum.
Prison transfers: state and local prisons in California transferring individuals to ICE custody.

GCIR and members of our network recently advocated on several of these issues in Washington, D.C. as part of Foundations on the Hill.

Join this webinar on Wednesday, April 19 at 10am PDT to learn more about these issues directly from campaign leaders and to explore steps funders can take to support their efforts. Featuring Yaquelin Valencia (Faith in Action Ethan Aronson), Never Again Action Sarah Lee (Immigrant Legal Resource Center),
Willie Lubka (Buen Vecino), and Adina Appelbaum (Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition). Grantmakers in the Arts is a co-sponsor of this event.

Learn more and register by April 18th at 5pm PDT.

Good morning family,

Thank you to everyone that reached out to check on us down here in Mississippi after the devastating tornadoes Friday night. My family and Sipp Culture are safe and were not directly impacted by the storms. However, as you have seen on the news, our extended community has been severely impacted and will be in relief and recovery mode for years to come.

Sipp Culture is part of the MS 4 Green New Deal coalition of organizations working for climate justice in the Gulf States. We have organizations on the ground in Rolling Fork, Anguilla, and the surrounding areas throughout Issaquena, Sharkey, Holmes, Monroe and Montgomery counties.

For those that are looking for ways to support, I offer the following information.

The needs communicated from the ground are:

– solar generators
– water
– food
– hygiene supplies
– infant/baby items (diapers, baby food, wipes)
– clothing
– cleaning supplies (including brooms, mops, disinfectants)
– large tarps
– resources to fund hotel rooms for unhoused people
– Medication/medical supplies
– trauma counselors

Donate Online

MS MOVE

CASHAPP: $msmove

MS NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/msrelieffund

MS Rising Coalition: givebutter.com/donate2rise

Thank you for your support. We cannot do this alone. Your prayers are also welcome and needed. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly.