Kresge works to expand equity and opportunities in America’s cities through grantmaking and social investing in arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services and community development, nationally and in Detroit, Memphis, New Orleans and Fresno. I serve on our human services team, which adds an economic focus specifically—through a racial equity and racial justice lens we advance social and economic success from one generation to the next.

We try to be pragmatic when thinking about economic equity—we ask, “how do we partner with families where they are and where they dream?” Central to the Human Services Program strategy is a 2Gen approach as put forth by Ascend at the Aspen Institute. This approach centers families in the design of programs and policies with a focus on changes needed at that level. The power of 2Gen is realized through mutual motivation and the inextricable relationship between parents and children. We seek to advance racial equity and justice by understanding and addressing root causes. We support people-centered economic justice (think GBI, baby bonds, tax reform, etc.) to address income and wealth gaps. Efforts that address wealth gaps, especially for women of color, include entrepreneurship, asset building, and more. And we enable person centered systems change.

Kresge is celebrating its 100^th anniversary this year. As we have been learning and reflecting on our history, impact, and how we will continue to work and evolve, I’m proud to be a small part of that legacy. At a recent celebration, President Obama joined Kresge President Rip Rapson in a fireside chat. They talked about how as President, Obama and his administration worked with the Foundation while the city of Detroit was facing bankruptcy and the local economy was on the brink of ruins. President Obama highlighted the importance of Kresge as a partner and leader in Detroit. Needless to say, the entire evening was inspiring.

I’m also inspired every time I go to a community meeting and see the impact of our work. For example, I was recently at a caregiver meeting where attendees broke into applause when they heard about a 10-year-old project funded by Kresge that made accessing state benefits easier for families because they directly benefited from the work. I’m part of an institution that works together with and for families and communities, and I’m truly proud of that.

I’m excited about how I have been able to work with colleagues across the foundation and in partnership with community to support families, including supporting tax filing campaigns for the now-expired child tax credit with our Detroit team, addressing the specific systemic barriers for native New Orleanians to start businesses with our American Cities program, or supporting student parents in the BOOST initiative with our Education team.

As we seek to advance racial justice, there is a coordinated and multi-dimensional effort to pull our country backwards. From state legislatures banning the term DEI and working to overtake majority Black cities like in Mississippi and Louisiana to the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action to corporations softening their language and commitments to equity and inclusion, it feels like we are facing challenges from every direction. And when I talk to grantee partners, they are tired.

And with that, I can’t talk about challenges and not consider ways we overcome them. Again, Kresge’s centennial reaffirms our commitment and the work ahead. To address these barriers and challenges, we must engage in conversations about repair and why acknowledging past harms paves the way for the future. Building on a deep understanding of our history and how it shapes the present, we must work to create abundance through economic equity and resilience through climate and health.

EOF is helpful because I learn about new work, and it strengthens my understanding of what is on the horizon. For example, at the most recent budget and tax meeting, we talked a lot about the 2025 tax debates. This will be an opportunity to change our Nation’s tax code to put more money in the pockets of families with low incomes.

Actually, I have a few questions. I have two sticky notes on my wall, which read “are families better off?” and “how do you know?” I should add to that sticky note— “how do you know families are better off now? And later? How do we know things are getting better from a systems perspective?”

Beyond evaluations and government reports, how do we know what the impact of our work on families and communities is? As families live multi-dimensional lives, how do they design and inform our work across sectors and issues? It is easy to sit at a national foundation and be disconnected, so it is imperative that every step of the way we are grounded in the needs and dreams of families and communities.

My parents. While they are both retired now, they dedicated their personal and professional lives to community and family. My father ran a community development organization, and my mom was a Head Start teacher. It’s no wonder I ended up working to support the social and economic success of children and their caregivers.