"African Americans have been very uncomfortable with the title of philanthropist," Jackie Bouvier Copeland writes on the Black Philanthropy Month website.
"This disassociation is incredibly ironic when considering the fact that '[w]hile often not given credit, African Americans' have been leaders in charitable giving, not only providing generous monetary contributions but innovating ways to empower worthwhile causes."
In fact, "Black philanthropy has always existed," Copeland writes, but "Blacks have seen their philanthropic achievements receive little to no attention outside their own community."
That's why Bouvier Copeland started Black Philanthropy Month in 2011to change that.
"The messaging around Black philanthropy has been untold and misunderstood," Copeland writes.
"For far too long, the messaging around Black giving, we will highlight the power of Black self-love as an act of universal human rights that promotes racial, social, economic, gender, and environmental justice for our communities and the entire world."
This year's theme is "Love in Action," and the Cleveland Foundation, which houses Cleveland's African American Philanthropy Committee, says it wants BPM to revolve around "transforming philanthropy from rhetoric and into a reality for Black communities."
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