{"id":4009,"date":"2025-09-01T22:15:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T22:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/?p=4009"},"modified":"2026-07-15T22:20:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T22:20:47","slug":"black-philanthropy-giving-legacy-and-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/2025\/09\/01\/black-philanthropy-giving-legacy-and-power\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Philanthropy: Giving, legacy, and power"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On a recent episode of KFAI 90.3FM\u2019s acclaimed program The Conversation with Al McFarlane<\/em><\/a>, three dynamic voices, Marquita Stephens<\/a>, Justin Butler<\/a>, and TiAnna Anderson<\/a>, came together to explore the profound power of Black philanthropy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this wasn\u2019t just a conversation about checks and donations. It was about redefining what it means to give, lead, and leave a legacy in a community that has long been both overlooked and overburdened, yet continues to give abundantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPhilanthropy is not just about money,\u201d said Justin Butler, Chief Risk Officer at Belvedere Risk Management. \u201cIt\u2019s time, talent, and treasure. And the truth is, our community shows up in all three, quietly, consistently, and with heart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Butler, who serves on the board of Greater Twin Cities United Way and holds deep roots in Omaha through a lineage shaped by Jim Crow-era resilience, philanthropy starts with proximity. \u201cYou can\u2019t solve problems you don\u2019t understand,\u201d he said. \u201cOur communities don\u2019t need saviors. We need partners who are grounded in the work and who respect the lived experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That foundation is exactly what Marquita Stephens, President and CEO of the Urban League Twin Cities<\/a>, brings to her leadership. As the organization celebrates its 100th year, Stephens reflected on a century of Black leadership in Minnesota, and how that legacy is evolving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Urban League is a place where people can come and admit what they don\u2019t know,\u201d she shared. \u201cThat\u2019s the kind of trust we\u2019ve built. We help people find their genius, and it\u2019s there. Always has been.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stephens detailed an inspiring range of programs, from employment pipelines in IT and AI to the Black Gems youth initiative, which develops social-emotional resilience among high schoolers. \u201cWe\u2019re not just preparing them for college or work,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re preparing them to show up whole, confident, and capable in any environment, even when they\u2019re the only ones in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the League\u2019s boldest new steps? A state-funded training program in the cannabis industry. \u201cWe see it as reparative,\u201d Stephens explained. \u201cFor decades, our people were over-policed and incarcerated for something that\u2019s now legal and lucrative. We need to be in the front of this industry, not catching up, but leading.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TiAnna Anderson, a marketing strategist, ministry leader, and founder of the Ready Set AIM Summit, echoed Stephens\u2019 call for expansive thinking around legacy and giving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPhilanthropy isn\u2019t just something for rich people,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cIt\u2019s about asking, what do I have? What can I give? My grandmother cleaned homes for a living. But if you were hungry, she made sure you got fed. That\u2019s philanthropy. That\u2019s legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anderson, who works at Sanctuary Covenant Church in North Minneapolis<\/a>, sees her work through a social justice lens. \u201cWe\u2019re on the corner of Broadway and Aldrich, once known for crime, now known for care. We provide groceries, clothing, utility support, and dignity,\u201d she said. \u201cWe don\u2019t look away from the challenges. We face them with faith and strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the conversation, McFarlane anchored the discussion in both historical context and forward-looking urgency. \u201cWhen people say make America great again, they\u2019re talking about returning to a time when our freedoms were denied,\u201d he said. \u201cOur giving, our organizing, is a form of resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stephens, who grew up during the Civil Rights Movement, agreed. \u201cMy lens has always been justice. Whether I\u2019m talking about today or tomorrow, I\u2019m thinking about who gets left behind, and how we make sure nobody does.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Butler, the vision is intergenerational. \u201cMy father pushed snow at 3 a.m. so I could live better. Now it\u2019s my turn. My kids serve food alongside me. They need to know, we stand on shoulders, and we lift as we climb.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closing the segment, each guest pushed back against the myth that Black communities don\u2019t give.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are our own safety net,\u201d Anderson affirmed. \u201cWe may not have our names on buildings,\u201d Butler added, \u201cbut we cut the checks, offer the time, show up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And perhaps Stephens summed it up best: \u201cWe give. We\u2019ve always given. Maybe it\u2019s time the world caught up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch the full conversation on Insight News\u2019 YouTube channel:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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