The Puerto Rico Community Foundation has organized the Caribbean panel with the participation of Haiti, St. Croix and Puerto Rico.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is an exclusive partner of Black Philanthropy Month. Other partners and sponsors include The b'elle group, the Women's Philanthropy Institute Indiana University at the Lilly School of Philanthropy; the Lilly School of Philanthropy's Foundation for Black Communities (Canada), Afrigrantes Foundation (Africa), the Puerto Rico Community Foundation (Caribbean) and The Bãobá Fund (Brazil).
PDF version of the press release
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Black Philanthropy Month (BPM), The event, which will be celebrated with a global equity-focused event called TENacity... Making Equity Real (Tenacity... achieving equity). The virtual event will feature a series of panels starting on August 3 and culminating on August 31, in the United States, Brazil, Puerto Rico and Canada.
The event will begin with the U.S. panel, which will feature the participation of Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation; Bakari Sellers, CNN political analyst and former representative in the South Carolina State Legislature; Sunny Hostin, ABC's legal correspondent and co-host of the program The View; the honorable Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and founder of the Gbowee Peace Foundation; and faith leader and activist, Rev. Naomi Tutu.
The Dr. Jackie Bouvier Copeland, founder of Black Philanthropy Month, Reunity and the Fund Women Invested to Save Earth (WISE), said that “celebrating the 10th anniversary with this gathering is evidence of the tenacity of the world's black community. We have a conviction to elevate our culture and opportunities to attract just philanthropic investments, whether through private capital, including philanthropic contributions and equity investments. Economic justice is the final frontier in the Civil and Human Rights Movement. We hope the United States and the entire world will join the celebration in August and push for real equity, starting by signing on to the BPM Global Black Funding Equity Pledge.”
The Caribbean panel, which has been convened by the Puerto Rico Community Foundation (PRCF), will be held on August 4 and will feature the participation of the Dr. Nelson I. Colón Tarrats, FCPR president and chief executive officer, as keynote speaker. His message will focus on the Racial Equity Institute for the Americas, which is developed from Puerto Rico for the Caribbean, Latin America and its corresponding diasporas in the United States, as a solid platform for investing in equity, specifically racial equity, including intersectionality between race and gender. In addition, a panel with representation from the Caribbean will be presented, with the participation of: Dr. Palmira Rios - Puerto Rico; Dr. Paul Latortue - Haiti; and Deanna James - president of the St. Croix Community Foundation.
“The problem of access to philanthropic capital is more acute for the Caribbean islands and even more so for those of us who are U.S. territories, since we are not considered domestic institutions by some, nor international by others. However, we can join forces to focus the world's gaze on matters of common interest. Therefore, I am preparing to present the issue of racial equity as an opportunity for networking, because of its importance to our social evolution, and to attract the attention of philanthropic investors from around the world. Also, each island participating in the panel will be able to expose the inequities and opportunities that prevail in each one. I am infinitely grateful to Dr. Jackie Bouvier Copeland for her tenacious effort to raise the issue for so many years and on this occasion, for including Puerto Rico and giving us the task of developing this panel focused on the Caribbean,” said Dr. Nelson I. Colón Tarrats.
With initial recognition by the United Nations as part of its Global Decade for People of African Descent and proclamations by 30 governmental bodies, the Black Philanthropy Month has been gaining ground since 2011 when it was launched, having been celebrated in over 60 countries and by more than 18 million people.
Valaida Fullwood, creator of The Soul of Philanthropy and one of BPM's co-architects noted that “BPM has used the power of social media to celebrate philanthropic contributions and investments for the empowerment of black communities, while encouraging the institution of principles and practices that accelerate equity focused access to financial capital.»
BPM is noted for the diversity of black people, worldwide, who are an integral part of its leadership and this event. Reunity, is the only global network of black women funders that inspired the BPM and organized its first summit, and has played a pivotal role in advancing the global black philanthropy movement. Although not always recognized, Black women have been at the forefront of Black philanthropy and have led the call for racial equity, gender equity and intersectional funding.
The Reverend Naomi Tutu, a religious leader and activist, has long participated in the summits and will return in 2021 with a session on spiritual wellness for women leaders. “When a crisis hits, women are often the first and hardest hit, as we give everything we have to care for our families, communities and the world. This gathering is a time for us to be well, as we do good and strengthen global sisterhood, while working to strengthen humanity in this time of struggle and hope,« Tutu said.
BPM is supported by a growing list of sponsors and partners, including our exclusive partner, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; event talent partner, The b'elle group, the Institute for Women's Philanthropy at the University of California, Berkeley, USA. Indiana University at the Lilly School of Philanthropy; global regional partners, the Foundation for Black Communities (Canada), Afrigrantes Foundation (Africa), the Puerto Rico Community Foundation (Caribbean) and The Bãobá Fund (Brazil). The full list of sponsors and partners will be published in early July. Registration for the BPM 2021 Global Summit Series opens today! Register at bit.ly/FundBlackSummit2021.
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About the Black Philanthropy Month | With the support of its parent organization, The Fund Women Invested to Save the Earth (WISE), generous partners and sponsors, the Black Philanthropy Month is a global celebration and collective action coalition founded by Dr. Jackie Bouvier Copeland in 2011 to celebrate and promote Black giving in all its forms and advance funding (donations and investments) to strengthen Black communities around the world. Recognized by the United Nations and 30 other government agencies, BPM continues to grow, building on the 18 million people in 60 countries who have celebrated since its inception. Contact us at info@blackphilanthropymonth.com and get more information at www.blackphilanthropymonth.com. Register for BPM's tenth anniversary summit series, TENacity: Making Equity Real, here: bit.ly/FundBlackSummit2021.
About the Puerto Rico Community Foundation | Philanthropic organization with a 35-year history of collaboration with donors and communities. It is the first of its kind in the Caribbean and Latin America and the only one of its kind in Puerto Rico. It is recognized as an 1101.1 organization under the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Code and as a 501(c)(3) organization under the Federal Internal Revenue Code.