We take great pride when our team members courageously stand up for what is right. Recently, Kelly Grattan and Liz Hefner (S&W employees and AFP-GPC Executive Committee members) boldly addressed historical and ongoing injustices in their published statement below. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let’s not only express gratitude for the blessings in our lives but also strive to fully acknowledge and comprehend the reasons behind our privileges and the associated costs.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Philadelphia Chapter wishes to acknowledge the land now known as Philadelphia was home to and cared for by native peoples. These include the Lenni-Lenape People of Lenapehoking (Lun-nah-pay-ho-king) and the Poutaxat (Pa-texit). We recognize these Tribes’ strength and history of resistance to colonization.
We commit to honoring their history, presence, and future. We support local Native people, including:
- The Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation.
- The Ramapough Lenape Nation.
- The Powhatan Renape Nation.
- The Nanticoke of Millsboro Delaware.
- The Lenape of Cheswold Delaware, and more.
We know that our modern systems of growing food and owning property are built on:
- The stolen land of Indigenous people.
- The enslavement of African people.
- The genocide of both Native and Black communities and cultures.
These violent acts continue to impact Black and Indigenous communities today. We must understand and name these realities.
