JPB President’s Letter: Courage Over Fear

Good morning,

Earlier this summer, we mourned the death – and celebrated the extraordinary life – of Reverend James Lawson, a prophet of nonviolence and a key strategist in the civil rights movement. I had the honor of being trained by him on the principles of nonviolence in the early 2000s. I expected to be trained in the choreography of direct action. Rev. Lawson, however, believed that nonviolence wasn’t mainly about tactics –even though he was a brilliant strategist and tactician who played a key role in the lunch counter sit-ins and the Freedom Rides. I vividly remember his insistence that practitioners cultivate and embody a specific inner state of mind and heart.

Rev. Lawson emphasized that nonviolence is a way of life, grounded in radical compassion and love forallbeings, including oppressors. He walked the walk, establishing a friendship with James Earl Ray – the man convicted of murdering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I have on many occasions failed to live up to the high standard of Rev. Lawson’s love ethic, but I believe it to be the true north star for all social change work.

Rev. Lawson has many lessons to teach us today. One of them is about how to overcome the paralyzing impact of fear. Authoritarianism, then and now, feasts on fear and creates more of it. Rev. Lawson saw deeply into our country’s soul, saying, “When all kinds of people in the United States become human, the people who have been mistreating them as less than human then are fearful…That’s the issue of racism in the United States, sexism in the United States, violence in the United States.” Fear is the emotional engine of authoritarian movements, which promise order and safety, and offer a false sense of belonging predicated on exclusion.

But authoritarian movements’ secret weapon is the fear that hateful rhetoric generates in people who are opposedto authoritarianism. Everyday people and leaders of elite institutions alike can be cowed by vitriolic rhetoric and threats of violence. Poll workers, election officials, and activists, especially those from marginalized groups, are experiencing intimidation, doxxing, and threats of violence. In Nashville, for instance, Neo-Nazis have recentlyralliedfor the “great white South,”heckledCity Council Members, andthreatenedlocal business owners.

Across the country, leaders in media, business, universities, and yes, foundations too, are being threatened for taking stances on issues like diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) or LGBTQ+ equality. They often self-censor, avoiding any topics that might be remotely controversial or put them in the spotlight. The understandable and very human impulse, for both everyday people and elites, is to hide – to not raise your hand, not stand up for what you believe or know to be true and right, for fear of being targeted.History tells us, however, that authoritarian movements only succeed when good people stand down.

Rev. Lawson taught that the indispensable virtue in times of tumult, when fear is rampant, is courage. True courage does not manifest as reckless or solitary action – it depends on careful preparation and solidarity. It shows up in disciplined action by groups. I am in awe of the extraordinary acts of courage that Rev. Lawson and thousands of everyday people took in the face of an unremitting campaign of racist terror. Only profound love can nourish that kind of courage.

We do not yet face tests of the kind that Rev. Lawson’s generation of activists did, but the temperature is rising. At The JPB Foundation, we’ve been reflecting on the necessity of courage in times like this, and how philanthropy can support people on the front lines facing growing threats.Some of the things we can do are to stand up for DEI and the right to protest without equivocation, to invest in the safety and security infrastructure our grantees need, and to commit resources that match the scale of the challenge we face.

DEI, properly understood, represents the progress we have made and aspire to make in broadening the circle of belonging to fully include people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and more. DEI is not some alien ideology – it is the best part of our country’s character and history. Last year’s Supreme Court ruling that undercut affirmative action, and the more recent ruling by a U.S. federal court appeals panel that suspended Fearless Fund’sgrant program for Black women business owners, are efforts to reverse this arc of progress.

Our team was inspired by Stacey Abrams’ recent visit to our office to discuss this topic. She spoke about how, in the face of these attacks, many in education and business are retreating, scaling back their commitments to DEI initiatives and programs due to concerns that they may face legal challenges or public criticism. The impulse to avoid controversy is understandable, but our commitment to equity must not waver. To this end, I am proud that my first President’s Fund grant was toAmerican Pride Rises– an effort Abrams leads to protect pathways to the American Dream by fighting for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive America for all.

The right to protest, a key tactic used throughout our country’s history to bring about change, is also under attack. Since 2017, 45 laws restricting the right to peaceful assembly have been enacted in 21 states. As authoritarian movements grow, we can expect more and more efforts to undermine the right to protest. We are proud to support organizations likeCommunity Justice Exchange,Southern Center for Human Rights, andCommunities Transforming Policing Fund, whose work has included defending the rights of#StopCopCityorganizers in Atlanta, who were charged with domestic terrorism for protesting the city’s decision to raze a forest and erect a sprawling police training complex. As the threats to dissent grow across the country, we will continue to support organizations working to protect the vital right to protest.

We are also acutely conscious of the threats frontline leaders and organizations face to their safety and security. We are proud to fund important initiatives to support leaders in the field like theTrusted Elections Fund, which is helping to build and sustain an ecosystem of service providers to support groups, and theJanisha R. Gabriel Movement Protection Fundled by the Solidaire Network. And we are exploring additional ways to help organizations respond to increasingly complex attacks being leveled at them.

Finally, in light of the existential challenges the country faces, we will continue to spend far above the five percent required minimum payout for the next five years to enable our grantees to meet unprecedented challenges.After careful deliberation, our Board members unanimously concluded that we must step up and give more.

We did not get into this crisis overnight, so we are working on two tracks – immediate surge funding to address urgent needs and consulting with the field and colleagues as we develop long-term strategies for new program areas. Here are a few highlights:

• 2024 Grantmaking Strategies for Our New Program Areas:Since last fall, we have moved (or are finalizing) approximately $54.2 million in rapid response grants toward civic engagement and pro-democracy efforts. In addition, we are reviewing and implementing our grantmaking strategies across our new program areas:Democracy, Gender, and Racial Justice; Community and Worker Power; Movement Infrastructure and Explorations; Faith, Bridging, and Belonging; and Reproductive Justice. We will move grants as part of the new strategy exploration and development in each of these program areas this year. We also continue the important grantmaking in JPB’s Medical Research and NYC Community Grants programs.
• Democracy Strategy:JPB leaders across all our programs are working together on a strategy to protect and strengthen multiracial democracy. This long-term, cross-cutting strategy will be shared with our Board for review in September.
• Worker Power Strategy:Our team is exploring the best strategies to support exciting efforts by workers across sectors to come together to improve their workplaces and their communities. This long-term, cross-cutting strategy will be shared with our Board for review in December.

Foundations face increased scrutiny and public criticism, but the severity of the risks we face pale in comparison to those faced by Rev. Lawson, his colleagues, and today’s frontline community leaders and organizers.It is important for our institutions to prepare ourselves, but we must also do our part to stand up courageously for our values and stand by those on the front lines.

“Through nonviolence, courage displaces fear; love transforms hate. Acceptance dissipates prejudice; hope ends despair. Peace dominates war; faith reconciles doubt. Mutual regard cancels enmity. Justice for all overthrows injustice. The redemptive community supersedes systems of gross social immorality.”–ReverendJames Lawson

With gratitude,
Deepak Bhargava

JPB Media Highlights

Ai-jen Poo and Deepak Bhargava, “What Does It Mean to Be a Labor Leader for This Moment?”The Nation

Robert Kuttner, “The Left’s Fragile Foundations,”The American Prospect

Career Opportunities at JPB
All positions can be foundhere.

Director of Program Management

Senior Program Officer – Democracy, Gender & Racial Justice

Senior Program Officer – Movement Infrastructure & Explorations

Senior Manager – Office of the President

Recommended Reading
Robert D. McFadden, “James M. Lawson Jr., a Top Strategist for Dr. King, Is Dead at 95,”The New York Times

Stacey Abrams and Margaret Huang, “Opponents of DEI want to stifle America’s progress. We can’t let that happen.”USA Today

Daniel Martinez Hosang and Colena Sesanker, “Locating Ourselves in the Wreckage of Neoliberalism,”The American Prospect

Gara LaMarche, “Civil Rights Are Under Siege. DEI 2.0 Is the Answer,”The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Joe Goldman,“Political Violence, Threats to Civic Society, and a Game Plan for Philanthropy,” The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Kandace Montgomery and Hahrie Han, “Organizing for Abolition in the Spotlight,”Hammer&Hope

Lovia Gyarkye, “Latoya Ruby Frazier’s Monuments to Workers,”Hammer&Hope

Roger Colinvaux, “How the Fearless Fund Ruling Distorts Charity, History — and Law,”The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Siddhartha Deb,Twilight Prisoners: The Rise of the Hindu Right and the Fall of India