{"id":3062,"date":"2021-07-15T10:39:53","date_gmt":"2021-07-15T14:39:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/panl\/?p=3062"},"modified":"2021-08-18T20:02:47","modified_gmt":"2021-08-19T00:02:47","slug":"foundation-for-black-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/panl\/2021\/foundation-for-black-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"The Foundation for Black Communities"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PhotoBy Liban Abokor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

July 15, 2021, update<\/strong>: Seven months ago, since the publication of\u00a0“Unfunded,”<\/a>\u00a0the\u00a0Foundation for Black Communities<\/a> (FFBC) put out a call to action to raise $300 million to capitalize its endowment. Specifically, FFBC called for $100 million from the Canadian philanthropic sector and $200 million from the Canadian government to invest directly into Black-led, Black-serving organizations. The government pledged $200 million dollars towards the creation of a Black-led philanthropic fund as part of its 2021 Budget, in direct response to FFBC’s lobbying, and is now setting up a public tendering process to distribute the $200 million.<\/a> “On the other hand, the philanthropic sector’s response, thus far, has been acutely underwhelming,\u201d says Liban Abokor, one of four FFBC working group members. Two foundations, Inspirit Foundation<\/a> and\u00a0Laidlaw Foundation<\/a>, did respond, with $3.85 million, while the rest of the sector has been slow in response to the call for support. Meanwhile, the FFBC is doing three things: (1) distributing $225,000 to more than 20 organizations that are increasing COVID\u2013vaccine literacy in BC and Alberta; (2) releasing a research study this summer about participatory, grant-making models in Canada; and (3) establishing an inaugural board of directors by the end of the summer.<\/p>\n

Feb. 3, 2021<\/strong>: Contending with the twin crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting recession, many people in Canada still imagine not only a full recovery, but a future where we \u201cbuild back better<\/a>.\u201d Unfortunately, there are many communities in Canada that don\u2019t share this optimism. For them, building back better is little more than a slogan; they focus on not being dug down deeper. Black people in Canada fall into that group.<\/p>\n

The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on two communities: those with pre-existing health conditions and those facing pre-existing inequities. Among the deep but often overlooked inequities are those stemming from systemic anti-Black racism and the gaps in opportunity it creates.<\/p>\n