In response to the unceasing assaults on black women and men across our country, Brooklyn Community Foundation invited all of our grantees to join in a circle for reflection last Friday morning at Concord Baptist Church of Christ, where our Board member Rev. Emma Jordan-Simpson is Executive Pastor. 

We were pleased that representatives from all of our Community Fund initiatives – Invest in Youth, Brooklyn Restorative Justice Project, Brooklyn Youth Fellows, Brooklyn Accelerator, and Neighborhood Strength – came together to build community, reflect, and strategize. 

As we collectively determine what comes next, we invite everyone in our community to take care of themselves as we continue to work for racial justice and equity, in Brooklyn and beyond. 

At the conclusion of the gathering, Rev. Emma (pictured standing, above) led us in the following exercise:

Inhale in hope, exhale hopelessness

Inhale strength, exhale weakness

Inhale love, exhale hate

We invite you to take a moment and do the same.

In partnership,

Kaberi