The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is proud to publish Our Right to Heal, a series of powerful personal stories about the experiences of black women fundraisers in southwestern Ontario.
Our Right to Heal was the creation of Nneka Allen, an AFP member of the Toronto Chapter, who brought together a group of women at various points in their fundraising careers to share their professional and personal experiences and gain strength and understanding through those connections. She asked them to share, in whatever way they liked, their authentic stories about what the theme of Our Right to Heal meant to them.
“There are many common issues and connections throughout the stories, but they also unveil our individual experiences,” said Allen, who is principal and founder of The Empathy Agency in London, Ontario. “The stories detail not only the injustice and inequity that we face daily, but also the depth of our individual and collective courage.”
The storytellers in Our Right to Heal include:
- Nneka Allen, CFRE
- Jennifer Bernard, CFRE
- Fatou Jammeh
- Muthoni Kariuki, CFRE, MPNL
- Camila Vital Nunes Pereira, Ph.D.
- Kasharna Pusey
- Nicole Salmon
- Fatou Seck
- Marva Wisdom, M.A.
- Anonymous
“The power of this project is in the stories of these women who often go unseen and unheard, and in not knowing their stories, they are made invisible,” continued Allen. “And while many were written months ago, they are even more powerful during this time of uncertainty. The trials and challenges that we face remain, and the understanding of our realities is even more critical now in this environment.”
The project also includes the oral art of spoken word, inspiring thought about the differences between inclusion and belonging, created by Teajai Travis, a poet, educator and African drummer. The presentation is a poetic expression of the collective experiences of this group of black fundraisers.
The project can be found on the AFP website at www.afpglobal.org/ourrighttoheal.
