Wednesday, June 9, 2021
Did you attend our Annual Conference? Whether you watched it live or want to relive it, the performance by Ayanna Albertson was one to remember. Her original poem for the NCG community reflects on the truths of what philanthropy must acknowledge so that together, we can find the hope of humanity. You can read her poem below and watch her performance by clicking the button above.
by Ayanna Albertson, writer, spoken word poet, a(rt)dvocate, believer
We live in a world of depth and diversity
of broad possibility
And endless opportunity
And still,
Somehow we have managed to minimize our potential
To prey on the impoverished
And bask in our abundance
We serve selfishness on a platter
Forget to give folks a fair share
And have the nerve to call everyone equal
There is a message here
And it won’t always be to everyone's liking
Won't satisfy their ego
Might taste a little bitter if they’re not used to humble pie
But feel free to feast on this
Truth is,
Ally ship is not a costume to remove when it benefits you to do so
To disassociate when solidarity threatens the safety of your convenience
We do not seek conditional comrades
Those who fight to feel good about themselves and not for the freedom of others
Humanity has always been about collective compassion
Even when society seem more like compartmentalization
It is knowing that some things may make you feel uncomfortable
How critical it is to confront our biases
To know
That community extends beyond the neighborhood you live in
Or the people you consider common
How it is constructive
And caring
And critical when need be
It is a seed
Worthy of nurturing
Of commitment and kindness
And who are we to neglect the growth of others
To call ourselves good and then prosper off our greed
It is our duty to strengthen those who struggle
To eliminate the margins and expand the means
It is not enough to stand beside if the oppressed still must suffer alone
How some folks don’t have a home to go home to
or a glimpse of hope to hang on to
And I am tired of tip-toeing around the truth
How it’s impossible to pick yourself up from the bootstraps if you keep being robbed of your boots
So I petition we be privy to the privilege
Address the discrimination in the dispersement of dollars
Breakdown the barriers of bigotry between us
We must hold each other accountable
Resew the fabric of our nation
support the systems that support the people
And acknowledge the beauty in our differences
We are capable of this cleansing
Of revision and rehabilitation
Together we can find the hope of humanity
If we simply start the search within ourselves