November 20, 2011
“Nobody’s free until we all are free.”
-Fannie Lou Hamer
A few weeks ago, the Chicago Community Loan Fund (CCLF) honored our work at Geneva Foundation with the Fannie Lou Hamer Grassroots Community Development Award. While my name is on the plaque, CCLF has essentially recognized the work of our entire organization, work that is only possible because of your generosity.
I have to admit, though, that when we were notified of the award, I had a little homework to do on the woman for whom it is named. While I vaguely recalled Fannie Lou Hamer's role in the Civil Rights Movement, I found new inspiration in reading her many speeches. Much of the wisdom Ms. Hamer shared 50 years ago remains relevant today.
In 1964, the Civil Rights Act finally addressed many long-ignored injustices suffered by minorities. But there were limits to its efficacy; shifts in the law alone could not address the economic inequities that plagued marginalized Americans. An imbalance of wealth persisted in our nation, and has become a deeper, wider gap today than it has been in a century. This gulf has kept many Americans from the ultimate freedom –– freedom from poverty. The 2010 census reported that 46 million Americans live in poverty, and that's based on a poverty line of $22,314 for a family of four, an amount which seems untenable. If a family at that income level spent half its money on food, each family member would eat only $7 worth per day, less than many of us spend on lunch.
Geneva’s unique program seeks to break the cycles of poverty by responding to the financial challenges faced by wards of the State of Illinois, especially when transitioning to college or independent living. To that end, our boys at Geneva engage in Self Leadership Training, which uses a variety of teaching methods to address a range of issues: financial discipline, career counseling, and literacy among them. Geneva participants learn to manage grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, cooking, and their own preventative health care. We believe that these efforts help our young people swim against the tide of poverty.
The Fannie Lou Hamer Award was accompanied by an honorarium of $1000. In the spirit of recognizing my own good fortune and paying it forward, I've elected to donate those funds to Geneva. At this time of holiday giving, I invite you to consider joining me in contributing to this valuable work. And if you sometimes feel alone in your efforts to bring about change, allow me to share another memorable quote from Ms. Hamer: "There is one thing you have got to learn about our movement. Three people are better than no people."
Warm wishes for a fabulous holiday,
Lisa L. Boone, M.Ed., QMHP
Founder & Executive Director
