August is Intersectionality Awareness & National Black Philanthropy Month

Intersectionality Awareness Month is a time dedicated to exploring how overlapping aspects of identity, such as race, gender, class, sexuality, disability, and more, combine to shape a person's experiences of both privilege and discrimination. The term was coined by Columbia University law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw in her 1989 and seeks to define the overlapping oppressions experienced by people who are part of multiple marginalized groups. Visit Dr. Crenshaw's TEDx talk, "The Urgency of Intersectionality" to learn more.

National Black Philanthropy Month is a time to recognize the deep, long-standing tradition of giving within Black communities tracing back through churches, fraternal organizations, and mutual aid societies that sustained communities before the Civil War, through Reconstruction, and beyond. Black Philanthropy Month itself was launched in 2011, originally conceived by Dr. Jackie Bouvier Copeland with early support from the Pan-African Women's Philanthropy Network (now known as Reunity). It began as a summit to advance funding equity by promoting philanthropy among people of African descent, and has since grown into a global campaign. At its core, the month honors generosity built on care, mutual aid, and community support. Visit the Black Philanthropy website to learn about the ways you can get involved.