2024 Convening Proceedings
2024 Convening Proceedings
City of Big Shoulders and Bigger Ideas
GIA Publications from the 2024 Conference:
Videos from the 2024 Conference:
Videos from the 2024 Conference are now available at the GIA YouTube Channel:
Seeing the Unseen: Color as Currency
Amanda Williams will share her practice - exploring how race shapes the value we assign to the spaces we occupy. Through her installations, sculptures, paintings, and works on paper, we are challenged to see the familiar in new ways and confront the inequities in urban space and ownership in America. From Chicago to NYC and New Orleans, Williams will demonstrate the power of public art and Black creativity in shaping our environments.
Shaping Bold Futures: Advancing Justice & Healing with Government
Mayor Michael Tubbs, Robin Rue Simmons, and Candace Moore will explore the transformative impact of initiatives like Universal Basic Income (UBI) and Reparations. Grounded in Illinois’ legacy of innovation and activism, they’ll discuss how these programs can advance racial justice and reimagine our social fabric.
The Zero-Sum Game Is Not The Answer: New Models for BIPOC-Led Media and Cultural Power Building
Yvonne Welbon and Jason Matsumoto will emphasize the importance of BIPOC-led storytelling and highlight the need for a significant shift in today’s models of philanthropic support to achieve a thriving, representative media ecosystem. They will also introduce the Chicago Media Coalition, a partnership of four BIPOC-led media arts organizations, catalyzing the individual and collective strengths of its members to build a new media infrastructure.
Transformation Requires Embracing Collective Spirit
Lori Lea Pourier (Oglala Lakota) will challenge the philanthropy sector to rethink power, privilege, and leadership through the lens of "Collective Spirit"—a concept she coined that emphasizes a commitment to nurture our shared humanity and to honor our deep connections to each other, the land, and the spirit of all things. Drawing on over 25 years of work, Pourier will discuss how embracing this philosophy can lead to transformative change in grantmaking.
Being Called In: Philanthropy in the times of crisis
Amber Hamilton, Susan Taylor Batten, and Kashif Shaikh will tackle the pressing challenges facing philanthropy today. With the upcoming U.S. election, genocide in Gaza, the Supreme Court’s decision on Affirmative Action, and attacks on DEI initiatives, they’ll explore how the sector must act and adapt to respond effectively in these critical times.