I learned how to drive in D.C., one of the most congested areas in the country. Like most 15-year-olds, I was excited to get behind the wheel, but I remember how nervous I was when I drove onto Interstate 495 – the infamous Beltway – for the first time. Every time I merged, my driving instructor said in a quiet, even voice, “Find your roadway.” At first I didn’t know what he meant, but over time this lesson has served me well while driving, and in life. He was reminding me that I don’t have to rush to join the flow of traffic. In fact, if I don’t take a second and orient myself on the onramp, I might never make it four lanes over to the fast lane.
I heard his voice today as I reflected on the rising cries for justice that are growing around the country. Those of us who seek justice and who want to support it feel a sense of urgency to act boldly and swiftly to thwart injustice. And rightfully so. The sound of Chicagoans calling for their mayor to accept accountability and resign is drowned by the din of vitriolic hate that mainstream presidential candidates are directing toward Muslim-Americans. The December trial of a serial rapist former police officer who preyed on Black women at the margins of society was overshadowed by constant media coverage of the two shooters in California. Those of us who want justice see where we need to go, and we want to jump from the onramp to the fast lane as quickly as possible.
But, as in driving, there is risk when we don’t take the time to find our roadway, especially as more and more organizations get on the road to justice. Recently, I talked to the president of a foundation that focuses on local issues who expressed frustration that some well-intentioned philanthropic organizations made harmful missteps in their attempts to support movements. Instead of supporting movement leaders, their actions discouraged new partnerships from forming.
As he shared his experience, and his disappointment, he revealed the missed opportunities when we don’t take the time to find our roadway. An organization or foundation that is well-oriented with a movement will understand its own capacity, resources and strengths. This allows those of us who work at these organizations and foundations to make promises we can keep. The first step in engaging in any movement is understanding the current progress of the movement, talking to the people most directly affected by the problems it seeks to address, and asking them what is needed to move forward. Whatever we offer to do to help, we must be informed by the people who suffer most from injustice, follow through on our promises to them, and ensure that our work translates into a real impact for them. Finally, we need to be careful about the fine line between leveraging our social capital to recruit others and claiming leadership or responsibility for things we haven’t done.
NCRP is currently engaged in our own strategic planning process, and as we move forward with it, I’m thankful for the insight from my friend at the foundation. NCRP, like other organizations in philanthropy, wants to continue in its journey to increase social justice. It’s exciting that the highway that will take us there is getting a little more crowded, but this makes it more imperative that we all remember to take a moment find our roadway. We need to know ourselves, give clear signals and pace ourselves as we move over the fast lane so we don’t damage others on the road.
Of all the lessons I learned from my driving instructor, this is the one I remember the most; decades later I still hear his voice from time to time. The problems we face require a sense of urgency, but the good thing about the Beltway is that the traffic never stops moving. We all want to get to a place of justice, and we’ll get there together if we keep these lessons in mind.
Tell NCRP – when you reach out to movement leaders, what do they say they need from philanthropy the most?
Jeanné Isler is field director at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP). Follow @NCRP and @j_lachapel on Twitter.
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