The Gobioff Foundation stands in solidarity with the black community. We are learning. We will do better.
My brother, Howard, started the Gobioff Foundation in late 2007 shortly before his death in early 2008. The world was remarkably different. When he started the foundation the iPhone was just a rumor, Barack Obama had yet to receive the Democratic nomination, and the world had yet to hear the names of Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and the countless other black individuals who were taken from this world by the violent actions of police and as a direct result of hundreds of years of systemic racism.
The Gobioff Foundation focuses on the areas my brother gave to as an individual. These areas are the arts and civil liberties. Howard was an outspoken proponent of a person’s right to speak freely and be their true selves without fear of censorship or persecution. In the 12 years since Howard’s death I’ve learned a lot. One of the greatest lessons is that on the road to equity I am still learning and I can always do better.
As the events of the past few weeks have unfolded the Gobioff Foundation has taken those lessons to heart and spent our time listening. As a foundation we’ve been introspective and I personally have been thinking about my responsibility to my brother’s memory and values. The Gobioff Foundation must respond to the silencing of voices that is going on in our country. We cannot be silent ourselves. Over the last couple of years we have let the civil liberties side of our grant-making wane as we tried to understand what that would look like if we tried to have an impact locally. I now think that this was shortsighted. The issues the Gobioff Foundation wants to address, and the problems we want to change are so large and systemic we must support the organizations and people who are doing the work, wherever they are doing the work; even if that is not directly in our back yard. The Gobioff Foundation has made a decision to immediately grant $100,000 to organizations who are working to put an end to structural racism, hold the police accountable, and end the deaths of innocent black lives. This is only the first step. We will be working on additional long term ways to address systemic and institutional racism in all areas of our grant-making.
Today, on Juneteenth, in this year especially, it feels necessary and appropriate to raise up the voices of these organizations and hold them high in celebration of everything they do as they work to make the world a better place.
We challenge everyone to stand up. Show up. Listen. Act. Be an Ally. Black Lives Matter.
Neil GobioffPresident, Gobioff Foundation
The organizations we have chosen are:
BU Center for Antiracist Research
The mission of the BU Center for Antiracist Research is to convene varied researchers and practitioners to figure out novel and practical ways to understand, explain, and solve seemingly intractable problems of racial inequity and injustice. We foster exhaustive racial research, research-based policy innovation, data-driven educational and advocacy campaigns, and narrative-change initiatives. We are working toward building an antiracist society that ensures equity and justice for all.
Dream Defenders
Dream Defenders is a membership-based organization of Black and brown youth, young adults and students fighting for a better future. Established in 2012 in response to the unjust murder of 17-year old Trayvon Martin, we organize campaigns, services, and political-education programming to improve outcomes in our communities. We have 10 chapters across the state of Florida in Miami, Broward, Orlando, Sanford, St. Pete, Tampa, Daytona, Tallahassee, Gainesville, and Pensacola. Today, Florida’s young people are experiencing ever increasing violence, incarceration and poverty. Tomorrow, through building deep, local power in our communities, we will make our state a place where everyone’s most basic needs are met and all are able to thrive.
Equal Justice Initiative
The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
National Black Justice Coalition
The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is a civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and same gender loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, including people living with HIV/AIDS. NBJC’s mission is to end racism, homophobia, and LGBTQ/SGL bias and stigma. As America’s leading national Black LGBTQ/SGL civil rights organization focused on federal public policy, NBJC has accepted the charge to lead Black families in strengthening the bonds and bridging the gaps between the movements for racial justice and LGBTQ/SGL equality.