BFCF AnnualReport DONE - Flipbook - Page 10
THE ROAD GETS BUMPY SOMETIMES
One of the Fund’s pillars is telling truthful Black
narratives, and that includes the hard parts. As
nonpro昀椀t leaders, we learned early on to smile
and spotlight successes. But our commitment
is to not throw the truth behind the couch when
the doorbell rings. We look back with much
appreciation on our 昀椀rst 昀椀ve years, and we also
recognize the times that we missed a step and
lost our footing, or bumped up against the
painful and unexpected.
This work — like any work — is not always a
delight. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming
and burdensome. The pain and struggles of our
communities spur us on but also weigh heavy on
our hearts. We keep 昀椀ghting the same justice
battles that previous generations fought. We
choose this work, but challenges have arisen
along the way.
Early in the process, we got a call from a celebrity
artist’s team saying that they wanted to also use
the name Black Future. Our 昀椀rst instinct was to
share the name, to feel that no one should own it.
However, the legal agreement sent by the artist’s
team would have entailed us signing over the rights
to the name that we had independently arrived
at. This was disheartening and unacceptable
to us. An attorney provided by the Seattle
Foundation demonstrated that we used the name
昀椀rst and helped us to reach an agreement. We
kept our name. The need for a legal process was
disappointing, but sometimes claiming the space
to exist requires tussling over turf.
We also faced backlash from within our community
when a group of local leaders sent scathing
emails to funders and the community at large,
accusing the four of us of stealing their idea to
start a similar fund. While there have been many
conversations over time among Black community
leaders exploring actionable ideas, our plan was
born independently and spontaneously on a
group phone call. We received personal insults in
group emails, and our appeal for unity was met
with hostility and name-calling. It was a painful
episode, and we could only stand in our truth,
recognizing the gap between that truth and
others’ perceptions.
Along with external challenges that compelled us
to defend ourselves, we also had the operational
challenge of fundraising, repeatedly making
our case and justifying the need for the Fund to
funders, sometimes in draining circumstances
that undermined our spirits. We are proud that
we surpassed our initial goal, but it took several
enervating years, during which we watched huge
resources directed toward other issues while
Black lives once again took a back seat.
There were internal dynamics to navigate as
well. Whenever people come together to work,
there is the possibility of moving in different
directions, despite an initial shared goal. One staff
member departed for another job only to continue
collaborating with the Fund in a non-staff
capacity. With another staff member, the need
for a planful separation became clear. While this
process was di昀케cult and not what we originally
envisioned, it was a necessary transition that we
handled with care. Our team grew stronger as we
clari昀椀ed our collective commitment to holding
this work.
The process of clarifying commitments also
involved 昀椀nding balance between rest and rigor.
We knew that rest and self-care are vital in a
healthy organization and urgently needed by
Black women, including us. We recognized that
we were deeply exhausted from prior jobs and
everyday oppression, along with the demands
of this new effort. While we accomplished much
over the Fund’s 昀椀rst 昀椀ve years, at times we were
too loose and unstructured, not always discerning
when to prioritize rest and when to prioritize rigor.
We have keener eyes for this balance now, and
systems to help sustain it.
