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August marked my one-year anniversary as the President & CEO of the National Black Child Development Institute! And while that might suggest I'm new to the organization, I'm far from that. In fact, I’ve been in and around the organization for over thirty years!
Fun Facts:
· My youngest sister was featured in the 1987 children’s calendar.
· In the late 90’s, I was hired as an intern while teaching in DC Public Schools.
· In the 2000’s, I returned to NBCDI as a PrekforAll DC fellow.
· Lastly, I’ve had the distinct experience of working under the leadership of our founder Evelyn Moore as well as Drs. Carol Brunson-Day and Felicia DeHaney.
As you can see, serving as the President & CEO of NBCDI is not just a leadership opportunity for me, but my calling. NBCDI is not just another organization, it's our history and our future. Over the last year I have learned that walking in your purpose is both a blessing and very hard work.
NBCDI works to mobilize communities to create a just future for Black children and families. In order to achieve this mission, I have spent the last year listening, asking many questions and learning with our team, our board, council of elders, affiliates, funders, and other partners. I am proud to state that we have made significant accomplishments: co-creating our strategic plan; strengthening our organizational culture; reengaging old partners and building new relationships that will move our work forward. We have gotten clearer on our vision and mission. We are moving forward with renewed focus, energy, and commitment to our work as the preeminent institute focused on the development of Black children.
Enumerating all I have learned would take too long. But what I will share are some of the major lessons that have been reinforced since August 2021. The Requirements – as I like to call them – to build a just future for Black children and families, are as follows:
I. This work requires the wonder and curiosity of a child – I was constantly asking myself and our team “why” and “what”. Why are we doing this work? What are we doing to maximize our resources to advance the building of just futures for Black children and families?
II. This work requires the strategic foresight of an Afrofuturist, someone whom writer Florence Okoye describes as “daring to suggest that not only will Black people exist in the future, but that we will be makers and shapers of it, too.”
III. And finally, this work requires that we come out of our home offices and from behind our screens and be present in the communities that we care so deeply about.
NBCDI is ready and we invite you to be a part of the movement!
JOIN US
Become an NBCDI member!
https://members.nbcdi.org/assoc_subscribe.asp
MEET US
Meet us at our annual Conference in Washington DC on October 7th- 9th!
https://www.nbcdi.org/2022conference.
DONATE TO US
Contribute to our work!
https://national-black-child-development-institute-inc.networkforgood.com/projects/9453-support-our-work.
FOLLOW US
Stay in the know on all things NBCDI!
@nbcdi on Twitter & Facebook.
@nbcdi_on IG.
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