In this special Emancipation Day and Black Philanthropy Month edition of The Giving Black Podcast, I interview my friend, brother and mentor, Ray Williams. I have known Ray for as long as I have lived in Canada (16 years). We speak about the recipe for success of the Black Opportunity Fund (BOF), the organization that Ray co-founded and currently chairs. BOF is a social innovation established to increase the flows of revenue into Black-led, Black-serving, and Black-focused (B3) organizations.

This Episode is our 12th and final recording for Season One of The Giving Black Podcast. It is absolutely special, and it is a must-listen!

The Giving Black Conference, is scheduled for August 10, 2023, at 9:30am-11:30am (EST). The theme of this year's conference is, Advancing Belonging. It's a subject that underpins Black philanthropy and affects those who seek to create social impact. On this episode of The Giving Black Podcast, we introduce an open mic for the first time. I invite The Giving Black Virtual Conference speakers to pop-in and share a few thoughts about belonging. I am joined by four guests.

In this episode of the Giving Black Podcast, we celebrate International Men's Health Week (June 12-18, 2023) and Father's Day (June 20th, 2023). Our guest, Owen Thomas, is Managing Director of Future Men; a multi-award winning charity founded in 1988. Future Men supports boys and men along the path to becoming dynamic future men, whilst addressing the stereotypes around masculinity and what it means to be a man.

Dr. Keratiloe Mogotsi is Programme Director of Executive Education at Witwatersrand’s (Wits) Business School, Johannesburg. She is also a lecturer on African Philanthropy at the University. As a pracademic, researcher, Lean Six Sigma coach, project management professional (PMP), Dr. Mogotsi holds a Ph.D. in African Philanthropy. Her research areas include disaster philanthropy, venture philanthropy, African philanthropy and philanthro-capitalism in Africa.

I love to meet people whose stories of philanthropy span the decades! Motunrayo Olaogun is one such person. Motunrayo works for the Christian Dior fashion label. She is a philanthropist, an entrepreneur, and also founded her own label Ayo Van Elmar. Gifted with incredible knowledge, Motunrayo was 10 years of age when she helped kids in her neighbourhood with their homework. This quickly grew into a passion to provide clothing and school uniforms for children whose families simply could not afford these items.

Welcome to Part 2 of Boards And Black Tokenism - What It Really Means To Belong. In Part 1, our guests and I tell the jarring story of how we were recruited to a board as token Black members, and quickly discovered that as board members, we were not, and would never be, treated as equals.

Belonging is “the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.” (Brown, 2021)

Olumide Akerewusi CEO of AgentsC, Black Philanthropists join Ahzjah for an exploration of world and black economic structures and mindsets, and his journey into a successful leadership role to change the world and creating a more equitable landscape for all!