In case you missed this story earlier this week..........
Wealthy socialite Agnes Gund, sold a painting off her wall for $165,000,000 and has used $100,000,000 of that sales price to fund non-profits working in the criminal justice reform space. Frankly, that's a beautiful thing. It really is. So why does that make me equal parts happy, sad and pissed as hell?
I appreciate Ms. Gund's gift to the non-profit community broadly and I especially appreciate her focus on the work of criminal justice reform-minded warriors. I just find myself conflicted, very conflicted in my response.
Happy
It goes without saying that money makes social justice work happen. That's not something we can argue about. Professionals need to be paid to bring their skills and time to bear on the issues of the day; office spaces need to be rented; lights and water need to be paid for; internet ain't free neither are the computers that use it. Donations and massive grants like these make it possible for organizations to procure those services and make long range plans that achieve desired goals. So yay! Money! and yet..........
Sad
I'm saddened that we still need so very many social justice warriors. 240+ years as a nation and the social system is still so damn jacked up? When y'all planning to get your shite together?
I'm terrified that we still need criminal justice reformers and activists because by every possible measure, there is little to no justice for some of us. The data proves this. There's evidence here and here should you need it.
The data continue to bear out one simple fact: that justice is a commodity which some of us will never be able to buy. And so yes, Ms. Gund's contribution is desperately needed and gratefully accepted, I'm sure. The battle for equal justice is far from won and the troops have little ammunition. Thanks to Gund, the warriors will live to fight another 10,000 days. And from the looks of it, we're gonna need every one of those 10,000 days....and probably 10,000 more beyond that.
And yet, I'm also Pissed-As-Hell
I appreciate, deeply, Ms. Gund's willingness to withdraw from her children's future (and basically pass to mine and others') the massive sum of $100,000,000. I can't say that too many times. That she would turn such an enormous sum over to strangers to do work that she may only recently have come to realize is critically necessary? Yuge.
I appreciate Ms. Gund's love for her African-American grandchildren that opened her eyes, her mind and her wallet but gathdammit! Why are we still here? Why. Are. We. Still. Here? Why is proximity still the only way to get folk to 'get it' with some of these social issues? Why?
And while we wait for this magnificent gift to plow the ground, to plant the seeds, to sprout seedlings and finally bear a harvest of justice, WTF are people like Philando Castile's mother supposed to do with their grief, their loss and their anger? Huh? WHAT? How many more will die, be wrongfully imprisoned, or receive excessive punishments while we await the rich harvest of justice that lies ahead?
Why are some of us still begging to be seen as equally human. equally worthy of any damn thing even justice?
Why is the young woman who texted a boy encouraging him to end his life going to jail, but the man who actually shot Philando Castile is not?
Why is Brock Turner already out of jail after being convicted of rape (having barely served three months) but Michael Vick spent two entire years in prison for dog fighting?
Thank you Ms. Gund for your gift. Thank you Ms. Gund's grandchildren for opening her eyes to how different the world is for Black men and women, even extraordinarily wealthy ones.
I'm going to just gulp down my frustration, my angst and whatever the hell this is and keep it movin'.
Wealthy socialite Agnes Gund, sold a painting off her wall for $165,000,000 and has used $100,000,000 of that sales price to fund non-profits working in the criminal justice reform space. Frankly, that's a beautiful thing. It really is. So why does that make me equal parts happy, sad and pissed as hell?
Ms. Gund's 1962 Roy Lichtenstein painting “Masterpiece”.
I appreciate Ms. Gund's gift to the non-profit community broadly and I especially appreciate her focus on the work of criminal justice reform-minded warriors. I just find myself conflicted, very conflicted in my response.
Happy
It goes without saying that money makes social justice work happen. That's not something we can argue about. Professionals need to be paid to bring their skills and time to bear on the issues of the day; office spaces need to be rented; lights and water need to be paid for; internet ain't free neither are the computers that use it. Donations and massive grants like these make it possible for organizations to procure those services and make long range plans that achieve desired goals. So yay! Money! and yet..........
Sad
I'm saddened that we still need so very many social justice warriors. 240+ years as a nation and the social system is still so damn jacked up? When y'all planning to get your shite together?
I'm terrified that we still need criminal justice reformers and activists because by every possible measure, there is little to no justice for some of us. The data proves this. There's evidence here and here should you need it.
The data continue to bear out one simple fact: that justice is a commodity which some of us will never be able to buy. And so yes, Ms. Gund's contribution is desperately needed and gratefully accepted, I'm sure. The battle for equal justice is far from won and the troops have little ammunition. Thanks to Gund, the warriors will live to fight another 10,000 days. And from the looks of it, we're gonna need every one of those 10,000 days....and probably 10,000 more beyond that.
And yet, I'm also Pissed-As-Hell
I appreciate, deeply, Ms. Gund's willingness to withdraw from her children's future (and basically pass to mine and others') the massive sum of $100,000,000. I can't say that too many times. That she would turn such an enormous sum over to strangers to do work that she may only recently have come to realize is critically necessary? Yuge.
I appreciate Ms. Gund's love for her African-American grandchildren that opened her eyes, her mind and her wallet but gathdammit! Why are we still here? Why. Are. We. Still. Here? Why is proximity still the only way to get folk to 'get it' with some of these social issues? Why?
And while we wait for this magnificent gift to plow the ground, to plant the seeds, to sprout seedlings and finally bear a harvest of justice, WTF are people like Philando Castile's mother supposed to do with their grief, their loss and their anger? Huh? WHAT? How many more will die, be wrongfully imprisoned, or receive excessive punishments while we await the rich harvest of justice that lies ahead?
Why are some of us still begging to be seen as equally human. equally worthy of any damn thing even justice?
Why is the young woman who texted a boy encouraging him to end his life going to jail, but the man who actually shot Philando Castile is not?
Why is Brock Turner already out of jail after being convicted of rape (having barely served three months) but Michael Vick spent two entire years in prison for dog fighting?
Thank you Ms. Gund for your gift. Thank you Ms. Gund's grandchildren for opening her eyes to how different the world is for Black men and women, even extraordinarily wealthy ones.
I'm going to just gulp down my frustration, my angst and whatever the hell this is and keep it movin'.
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