Faith in Texas Executive Director Akilah Wallace has been named the 2019 Philanthropist of the Year by the Young Black and Giving Back Institute (YBGB). YBGB strives to educate, inspire, and empower young black professionals, influencers, social entrepreneurs, and activists to effectively invest in changing their communities through philanthropy. “Thank you to YBGB Institute for this recognition and to everyone who thought highly enough of me to take time to vote,” said Wallace. “This honor is a meaningful testament to my commitment to increase our collective investments in the betterment of those who deserve God’s best––everyone. I am determined to empower those most directly impacted by social injustice to help fund the liberation of all people.” Wallace is deeply passionate about philanthropy, especially in communities of color. Since 2013, with the launch of #BlackDFWgives, she has worked diligently to raise the platform for philanthropy education and mobilize the next generation of philanthropists of color. In 2017, Wallace founded HERitage Giving Fund at Texas Women’s Foundation, the first black giving circle in Texas. Before most recently stepping into her role as the executive director, Wallace led fundraising efforts for Faith in Texas as the director of development. “You don’t have to be wealthy to make a difference,” Wallace added. “Our efforts may look different, but every time we help someone other than ourselves, we ARE being philanthropic. As people of faith, giving is what we do; we do it often, and most importantly, from our hearts.” The YBGB Institute aims to convene the nation’s most impactful young, black professionals and equip them with tools and resources for effective leadership in order to produce sustainable and innovative solutions to their communities’ most pressing issues.
Faith in Texas in Medium: Will Other States Follow California’s Flip from Red to Blue?
There is no shortage of progressive grassroots organizations in Texas. The Industrial Areas Foundation has been at for decades, and Texas Tribunecounts more than 100 organizations in its grassroots directory. Efforts to handcuff conservative Christianity and the Republican party are being countered by organizations such as Faith in Texas, whose agenda includes voter engagement, ending unnecessary incarceration, and bringing working class communities into economic policy discussions.
Wes Helm and Lola Vinson in The Washington Post: In God’s Country
A little before our trip to Farmersville, I met Lola Vinson and Wes Helm, members of a multiracial, progressive community organizing group called Faith in Texas, whose projects have included local criminal-justice reform, anti-police-brutality efforts, a living-wage campaign and agitation against predatory lending. Working with several faith groups in Texas, including evangelicals, is key to the organization’s mission, and I wondered how Vinson and Helm’s experience might have shifted since Trump’s ascendancy.
