In honor of black history month, I want to put a spotlight on the beautiful black, melanated magic that is happening behind the scenes of The Neighborhood, our Board of Directors. The three words to best describe us are: young, black, and determined. Currently, our board consists of four individuals (including myself) who came together to be agents of change in our society. And although we live and work in different states, the issues that we see in our neighborhoods are so similar that to not do anything is to accept failure and defeat. Yes we are small, but our level of commitment is a testament of our passion for change and care for our community. Our size and passion also goes to show that quality over quantity is what makes success a reality.
For anyone who decides to become a board member, particularly in the nonprofit sector, it truly is a labor of love. As a board member, along with governing how the organization is run, sometimes board members may have to be even more involved by managing the day-to-day operations of the organization. It’s not an easy job but devoted board members take on the challenge because they understand that taking on that leadership role is an important form of advocacy for the issue they are addressing. For The Neighborhood, each board member has their personal reasons as to why they decided to serve. However, we came together despite our different backgrounds and distance (literally) because of one word: hope. The reality that we have experienced and many others have faced that share our beautiful melanated complexion, is the unwavering frustration of being black in America. A quote from pinterest said it best, “Being black in America, feels like running a race and someone keeps moving the finish line.”Although we can say that over time our struggles have lessened in comparison to our parents, grandparents, and so forth, our struggles are still very much prevalent. Therefore, we work to make those struggles so minute for future generations by bringing together our skills and knowledge to better serve neighborhoods that are often forgotten.
We are young, we are black, and we are determined to create opportunities to sustainably strengthen our underserved neighborhoods. Although not a requirement, all of our board members are entrepreneurs. This fact goes to show that our team consists of leaders who are not afraid to step out on their own to make things happen. The saying, “be the change you wish to see” is an understatement when we put a spotlight on our board. We are all young professionals, from various fields and our willingness to serve and start a nonprofit without decades upon decades of experiences goes to show that you don’t have to be rich and/or powerful to change your community, you just have to be committed to the change.
To learn more about our board, visit our ‘About Us’ page.