We can. We will. We Are: Reflections on what is and what’s possible.

Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in two profound events — one personal, the other work-related — that have me thinking deeply about what’s possible as well as putting faith into action. While on the surface, these two events seemingly have nothing in common, I couldn’t help but find parallels in the lessons I learned from each experience.

First, the MUDGIRL Run

My daughters (ages 8 and 10) and I participated in our first-ever MUDGIRL Run. Whether you showed up by yourself or with a group, this 5K event consists of women working together toward a common goal, as they hurdle over 18 obstacles, in support of breast cancer and other women’s health issues…and lots and lots of MUD!

What a phenomenal moment and memory. Being in relationship with other women and the earth. Participating alongside females of all ages, races, sizes, and shapes. Cheering each other on, and literally — and emotionally — lifting up one another. I’m so glad my daughters got to be a part of this experience, which mirrors much of life. At the beginning we were committed, excited, and a bit nervous about the unknown road ahead. In the middle, it was challenging, tiring, messy, and inspiring. There were hills to climb and moments each of us wanted to give up. We didn’t know what lay ahead for us. By the end we were tired and a hot, muddy mess…and we individually and collectively acknowledged, with pride, what we accomplished.

Throughout this experience, we had to have faith in ourselves and each other to persevere. There was help to give and help needed to achieve our shared goals. No one on that course could’ve done it alone.

Next, the 2024 Funders Institute

Fast forward a week to my participation in Funders Together for Housing Justice ’ 2024 Funders Institute, which was held in conjunction with the National Alliance to End Homelessness ’s National Conference. This event was a convening that brought together funders, movement leaders, and policy experts to work together to advance housing justice. I was here to listen and learn, given that housing stability is a new focus area of the Bainum Family Foundation ’s Early Childhood work.

What I heard and experienced at this event resonated powerfully with me. First, Dr. Tiffany Manuel, President and CEO, of TheCaseMade , shared these staggering statistics along with her important reflections on the data:

We spent $2.3B on fireworks last week. I love fireworks, but I would give that up if it meant every person had a decent place to live. We spent $500B on lipstick alone last year. We don’t have a resource problem in this country, we have a lack of will problem.

Faith in action is helping move minds and hearts from being stuck in a deficit and scarcity mindset. Believing that things can be better despite what is in front of us, and engaging in actions informed by that belief, those are acts of faith and resistance.

Then, as we thought about how to engage in these acts of faith, Brittany Schulman of Native Americans in Philanthropy encouraged funders to embody the following core, cultural Indigenous values:

• Respect
• Relationships (with people, animals, land/places)
• Responsibility toward those relationships
• Reciprocity
• Re-distribution (what is given to us is never just for us. We should pass it on to others.)

This was followed by Janeen Comenote of the National Urban Indian Family Coalition who noted that these aren’t just Indigenous values. They are “human values that much of humanity forgot as a result of colonization and capitalism.” In other words, these values are deeply rooted in us. We just need to do some excavating to remember them and live them out.

Last but not least, Ann Olivia, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness stated so simply but powerfully, “The world we have today does not need to be our world of tomorrow.”

We can do amazing and powerful things with and for our fellow humans. We already have the tools we need to spur positive change but it will take both mental and behavioral shifts. It will take tough individual conversations. It will take communal un-learning and re-imagining. It will take major structural, policy, and systems change. 

Whatever our role or focus area in advancing social justice, let’s keep our faith in what’s possible. Let’s push ourselves, and each other, on both our what and our how. Let’s courageously strive to think and act differently. Let’s continue to push at individual, communal, and structural levels toward a better future for our fellow humans. 

The tie between the two

While a short, mud-filled run in no way compares to our historical and current context of injustice and inter-generational trauma in our country, these two events have taught me a valuable lesson.

Whether we’re pushing ourselves through giant inflatables in the summer heat, or maximizing our collective efforts to undo centuries of racist policies and practices — it will get messy and tiring. We may skin our knees and bruise our hearts. We will need to take moments to pause — to breathe and rest. But we have the tools we need. We have a responsibility to our fellow humans. Our societal issues ARE solvable. And we cannot let this moment pass us by. 

We can. We must. We will. 

Let’s keep pushing.

#FTEH2024 #NAEH2024 #mudgirlrun2024