“Philanthropy Must Understand Racism Is Not Dead”

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

GWP’s colleague Tamara Lucas Copeland, President of Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers (WRAG), recently wrote an opinion piece for the Chronicle of Philanthropy in which she argued for philanthropy leaders to grapple explicitly with structural racism.  "A growing number of grantmakers in Washington have decided it’s important to challenge this notion, to recognize that the distinct, negative treatment of a group of people based solely on race is a major contributor to poverty and inequality in America,” Copeland writes. “ We believe that racism is rarely acknowledged or discussed by members of the public or within philanthropy. And we believe that until that silence ends, our region, and our country, won’t be able to take the steps needed to end racial inequities."   One result: WRAG has organized Putting Racism on the Table, a lecture series, to convene its philanthropic CEOs and trustees on topics such as structural racism, unconscious bias, and white privilege.   Read the full opinion piece (subscription required),