Professional Development · DEI · Resource Roundup
Apra’s DEIBJA Committee Resource Round-Up: Decolonizing Philanthropy and Challenging Injustices
By The Apra DEIBJA Committee | March 09, 2023
In this new series, the Apra Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, Justice and Access (DEIBJA) Committee offers resources to help you further engage with the latest practices and thought leadership around DEI in prospect development.
Read on to see what committee members have on their radar.
What we're recommending: “Decolonizing Wealth” (Second Edition), by Edgar Villanueva
Recommended by: Brandon Baez
Summary: “Decolonizing Wealth” is a provocative analysis of the dysfunctional colonial dynamics at play in philanthropy and finance.
Why we're recommending it: Personally, this book has allowed me to refine my own framework for evaluating white supremacy inside of philanthropy. It has influenced my organization’s methodology in systems change to end hunger at its root causes.
Where you can find it: ThriftBooks.com and other booksellers
What we’re recommending: “Madam C.J. Walker's Gospel of Giving: Black Women's Philanthropy During Jim Crow,” by Tyrone McKinley Freeman
Recommended by: Kristal Enter
Summary: Tyrone McKinley Freeman chronicles the life of the first American female self-made millionaire, Madam C.J. Walker. Madam Walker not only launched a beauty empire, but also challenged the injustices of Jim Crow through her philanthropy, which included monetary gifts, advocacy and education.
Why we’re recommending it: Freeman's book lays out the long, rich history of Black generosity and philanthropy, and connects Madam Walker's giving as a case study of this history. In doing so, he challenges our preconceptions about who counts as a philanthropist and what counts as philanthropy.
Reading this book helped me identify my narrow field of vision about what I understood philanthropy to be and how it is practiced. It has spurred me to learn more about different histories or legacies of philanthropy, which has changed how I approach my work as a prospect researcher.
Where you can find it: University of Illinois Press and other booksellers
The Apra DEIBJA Committee
The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, Justice and Access Committee (DEIBJA) provides leadership on DEI-enabled initiatives for the Apra community. The committee identifies opportunities, develops resources, fosters collaboration with other Apra committees, and promotes the latest practices with regard to diversity, equity, and inclusion for the prospect development community.