Black Philanthropy Month celebrates charity and giving
If you are consumed with as much news as I have always been as a former television news anchor and reporter, seeing the light of hope and grace through the darkness of violence and racism is no easy task.
The barrage of reports of black lives ended by white police officers, or in the case of the recent Charleston massacre, Dylann Roof, is enough for some to simply cry themselves to sleep.
It seemed to start trending a year ago in August in Ferguson, Mo., when I choked back tears while reporting that the killing of Michael Brown by a white police officer turned the streets near my old stomping grounds into an inferno heated with sores festered by hate, fear and ignorance.
But what has risen from the ashes and the souls of the dead is an outcry for change that comes when you dry your tears, roll up your sleeves and give.
August is Black Philanthropy Month. Founded by the Pan-African Women's Development Fund in 2011 and recognized by the United Nations and Congress, BPM was created as an annual, global celebration of African-descent giving in the U.S. and worldwide.
Although the recognition is recent, charitable giving and volunteerism have provided relief and solace in the Black community for more than 200 years.
To improve their conditions and well-being, Blacks have developed schools, financial institutions and hospitals. An Arizona Community Foundation survey of Black Philanthropy in Arizona found that 86 percent of blacks give annually, one-third giving each month.
The Arizona Community Foundation's Black Philanthropy Initiative joins the celebration with a massive social media video campaign called #IAmaBP or I Am a BP.
We are encouraging everyone to pick up a smart phone, record their giving story and share their video on social media throughout the month of August. You may just see these three great examples of Black Philanthropy:
1. Dr. Betty Shabazz Delta Academy. The unique program in the Phoenix and Tempe Chapters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, of which I am a member, is designed to spark girls' interest in science, technology, engineering, math and other careers where minority women are scarcely represented. The volunteers do that all while developing the students' character.
2. The Ace Academy, sponsored by the Archer Ragsdale Arizona Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen and the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals. Pilots, scientists and members of the original Tuskegee Airmen expose high school students to college education, aviation and other STEM careers. They then present them with real examples of heroic fighter pilots … the Tuskegee Airmen … who paved the way for them and endured unspeakable hatred to pursue their goals and fight for our country in World War II. You can see the students' chests raise and their eyes open wider as they stand next to these pioneers.
3. Komputer Kids. For 32 years, dedicated engineers, architects, and educators have been spending the month of July with high school and middle school students teaching them critical thinking skills through computer programming language. My children love it. I've never seen them more excited to get up early on a Saturday to learn coding.
I spoke with one of the students who attended the camp 17 years ago. Pierre Hines explains how black philanthropy showed him the way to the United States Military Academy at West Point, got him through service in the Iraq war, helped him earn his law degree from Georgetown University and will help him practice law at the prestigious Jones Day global law firm.
Kim: How have Black Philanthropists changed your life?
Pierre: "You don't know what you don't know. Unless you can speak to someone who has taken that path before you, you don't know the path exists. My mentors let me know that West Point and law school existed for me and they showed me how to get there. They were my guiding force."
Kim: Was Komputer Kids really tangible?
Pierre: Yes! During the computer camp students competed while creating a game from scratch using several computer programming commands. As a captain in Iraq, I used the same commands to track vehicles. What those volunteers did for me and taught me at camp stayed with me. They were transferrable.
Kim: Are you a Black Philanthropist?
Pierre: "You bet I am. For several years, I have been mentoring those who want to go into the military, have been helping to improve the diversity pipeline to law school and careers and serve on the board of the Caribbean Returning Nationals Foundation. I am a BP."
As you can see, there is a lot to celebrate in Black Philanthropy and even more work to do. Join us.
Kim Covington is a former KPNX 12 News anchor and the principal partner of the Covington Companies. Reach her at kim@covingtonco.com or on Twitter @kcovington.