Kaci Patterson, founder and chief architect of Social Good Solutions and the Black Equity Collective, has called for California to embrace what she describes as “Black permanency” — a vision in which Black residents and institutions are not merely surviving, but have the resources, stability and power to thrive across generations.

The idea comes at a time of economic strain, climate-related disasters and political pushback against equity initiatives. Patterson argues that Black communities are facing erasure in classrooms, public language, data and historical narratives, even as Black-led organizations continue to serve as essential support systems in their communities.

Those organizations, she noted, often respond first when families need food, housing assistance or other emergency help, filling gaps left by government programs and shrinking public resources. At the same time, Black women have been pushed out of the workforce at more than three times the rate of other workers over the past 18 months, according to data cited by advocates.

Recent disasters have also underscored longstanding inequities. In Altadena, a community known for its history of Black homeownership, leaders have raised concerns about whether rebuilding from Los Angeles-area wildfires will allow longtime Black families to remain and preserve the community’s identity. The question, Patterson argues, is not simply who recovers, but who gets to stay, belong and pass stability to the next generation.

The philanthropic sector also remains under scrutiny. After the murder of George Floyd, many institutions made major pledges to support racial justice and Black communities. Advocates say many of those commitments have not been sustained. Black-led nonprofits — about two-thirds of which are led by Black women — remain among the most underfunded organizations in the nonprofit world.

That lack of investment has consequences, Patterson argues, visible in housing instability, displacement, the loss of cultural institutions and the pressure on Black-led organizations to continually take on responsibilities beyond their core missions.

Moving from temporary gains to lasting change, she said, will require more than statements of support. It would mean durable investments designed with communities, reparations, endowments for Black institutions, education that affirms Black history and humanity, and access to capital for Black founders, innovators and cultural leaders. It would also require pay equity, including addressing the gap that leaves Black women waiting until mid-July 2026 to earn what white men earned by the end of 2025.

For philanthropy, Patterson called for more multiyear general operating support and shared decision-making with the communities being served. For government, she said nonprofits should be paid market rates for contracted services so they are not forced to subsidize public safety-net work through their own limited budgets.

The issue, she argued, is not only one of racial justice but also of economic development. California’s Black-led organizations employed more than 4,000 people and generated more than $335 million in salaries in fiscal year 2023. When those organizations are properly funded, advocates say, local economies and broader community networks benefit.

Juneteenth marks the day emancipation became a reality for enslaved people in Texas, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. That delay between legal freedom and lived freedom remains central to the Black experience in America.

California is the only state to have established a reparations task force, placing it in a unique position nationally. Patterson and other advocates say the state now faces a choice: celebrate Juneteenth with parades and gatherings, or pair those observances with policies and investments that make long-term Black stability possible.

For communities across Southern California and the Inland Empire, where nonprofits and civic organizations often help meet urgent needs, the question is whether public and private leaders will treat Black permanency as a lasting civic commitment rather than a seasonal message.

Original source: CalMatters

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