Valaida Fullwood

Valaida Fullwood is the author of “Giving Back: A Tribute to Generations of African American Philanthropists.” The coffee-table book chronicles the African American philanthropy experience through intimate vignettes and candid reflections of some 200 donors - all with a connection to the Qcity.

“Giving Back,” which will be released in October, pays tribute not only to blacks who share their wealth but also to those ingenious givers who carve a way out of no way, whose acts of kindness are rarely acknowledged as philanthropy but whose charity nevertheless continues to impact lives and communities.

The 392-page collection of narratives is entwined with black-and-white images captured by photographer Charles W. Thomas Jr. and is Fullwood’s first book. She recently sat down with Qcitymetro.com to discuss the makings of “Giving Back.” Below is an excerpt from that interview. Read what she said was her biggest challenge to completing the project and what advice she has for aspiring authors.
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Tell me about the book. How would you describe it?
It is a labor of love. It is a collection of stories as told to me. I interviewed at least 60 people. In total, we engaged over 200 people with requested quotes, conversations and more informal interviews. It’s the stories that have come from that engagement of people combined with about 200 black-and-white photographs…that depict facets of giving, generosity and philanthropy within the African-American community.

What message do you want readers to take away?
To recognize that you have the potential to give and make a difference or an impact on individuals and communities. And also to know that in the process of doing that, you improve yourself, and you benefit. You change yourself in ways you may not have anticipated. Everybody can do it. It’s not just the Bill Gates or Oprahs or the Russell Simmons of the world that are philanthropists. You can be a philanthropist, too. Your dollars might be smaller. Your gifts might be smaller, but you still can have a powerful impact on people.

Why do you think it’s important to convey that message?
There is a disconnect in the history of giving within black communities and mainstream…philanthropy. Even black philanthropists often don’t recognize what they do as philanthropy. Hopefully, African Americans will embrace that term and that it’s not a big unknown word. It’s synonymous with a giver or a lover of human kind. Embrace that title and be as bold with your giving as Bill Gates is with his.

What other messages do you want to convey with this book?
I work a lot in institutional philanthropy and I don’t see a lot of us on staff or otherwise engaged in a variety of ways. Sometimes we are the grantees… that is, being the beneficiaries of institutional philanthropy, but as far as being the decision makers, evaluators, staff, leaders and donors -- I don’t see as strong of a representation of us as I would like to see. The book is meant to create a counter narrative to that by showing that yes, we are givers. We have this long tradition of giving. We may be absent from institutional philanthropy but we’re here. We’ve been here. We are giving… The truth of the matter is, black people give more of our discretionary income to charity than any other racial group in America.

What does philanthropy look like in the black community?
Traditionally, the black church is the center for a lot of our giving…We also give a lot in ways that researchers don’t collect data on, like when we help cover tuition for a cousin or help to pay someone’s rent…and making opportunities so that people can…do all of the important things that philanthropists make possible. It’s just how we do. It’s a strong tradition and expectation in the African-American community. I haven’t seen other communities that do it quite as well as we do.

What made you want to be a writer? How did you get into it?
You know, I didn’t know that I was a writer until somebody told me. I didn’t hate writing. In fact, I loved and enjoyed it, but I never identified myself as a writer until very recently, to be very honest. Now, I embrace it. About 15 years ago, I was working for a nonprofit, writing speeches for somebody for an event we were having, and someone who was a writer came and told me, “Valaida, you have a gift…” I’m very grateful to her today for just point-blank telling me. It was like an awakening.

What would you say is the biggest obstacle you had to overcome?
Myself and my head -- having confidence and courage. That was number one… Ultimately, it was kind of getting over myself and thinking creatively… I think as in life, things happen. Challenges come up and we encounter hurdles, but it’s just a matter of your perspective, your perseverance and your kind of mindset. It’s positive thinking that helps you work through those times. That was the biggest obstacle.

So, how did you get in to and maintain that positive mind frame?
Of course prayer, for sure; meditation and yoga. That helped me find some clarity. I had my friends for support and focused on being as conscious as I could about what I was going through and what my goal is. Having a sense of purpose and a drive helped me to be open to working through it, as did leaning on friends, turning to my church and being prayerful. I was attentive to myself and the stressors in my life. I worked to minimize those so I could push through and could get the clarity I needed to see the bigger picture.

What’s the one thing you learned while writing this book that shocked you most?
It’s how foreign the word “philanthropy” is in our community. How many people who have a sense of what it is but are so intimidated. It’s so distant from their realm… even when approaching people for their stories while doing the book, they would say, “Why me? I don’t have anything…” I would (list their philanthropic activities) -- it’s such a beautiful word. When you break it down, it’s to love humankind.

What are some of the stories that stuck out to you?
To be honest, picking one is like choosing your favorite child for me. It’s a bit hard, but one in particular that I’ll share is the story of Elizabeth Ross Darden. She’s now deceased. I had a conversation with her niece. Ms. Darden had been an educator in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools… A message she always shared with people was that she only accomplished what she achieved in life because people helped her. So whenever she could be a help to somebody else, she wanted to be a help.

When she passed, her family learned that she had bequeathed about a quarter of a million dollars to area non-profits, from Johnson C. Smith University, to the Urban League, and some other organizations in the community. She was somebody who many folks would probably be dismissive of, as far as being a major donor, having no idea that this retired black school teacher had this kind of value and wealth that she could make that kind of gift in her death. I think that’s really a kind of powerful lesson to us, as young black African Americans. It’s also a message to non-profit and philanthropic institutions on who is a donor or a prospective donor. You never know.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
First and foremost, you’ve got to love whatever it is that you are writing about. Be fascinated with it or intrigued by it because it’s hard going -- from the external factors and internal factors that come into play and pull you away from completing the book project. Have it deep down some place, that real love for what you are writing. It will show up in the final product. It’s what will help get you through the tougher times when you have your own doubts or when other folks have doubts about you.

How can readers reach out to you?
I have a blog -- Valaida.com. You can follow me on my blog and get updates on my book and progress as a new author. I’m on Twitter @ValaidaF and on Facebook.
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5 THINGS ABOUT VALAIDA Fullwood

1. She’s confident in her skills.
“ I’m not sure it’s right, but I will confess that I love my own cooking and I love my own writing. Maybe it’s shameful for somebody to love their own writing and cooking that much…. I will own doing those two things well.”

2. She’s a consultant by day.
“I am writer and project manager for a range of foundations, philanthropic groups and community-based organizations. I write for these groups. I organize events for these groups. I brainstorm ideas, formulate and implement projects.”

3. She sketched out the entire book project in one night.
“One night, while I was in Seattle on a business trip at the hotel room, a flood of ideas just came forward, and pretty much the whole concept of what has become the book four and half years later was sketched out that night - exactly how I wanted it to look, how the stories would flow… It’s rewarding now that I can look back on those notes from four and half years ago and say we did it!”

4. She likes to sweat.
“I love Bikram yoga. It’s hot yoga. It’s a ninety-minute session, the same 23 poses every time you go and it’s about 100 degrees or more in the room. So, you get a real sweaty workout. I love the intensity of it. It raises the game. Anything you do at 100-degree heat, even taking a nap, would be a challenge…The first time I did it, it felt like I had climbed Mount Everest. It was the hardest thing I had ever done. It was amazing. It was euphoric.”

5. She’s a philanthropist.
“In our giving circle, each member is committed to a minimum of $365 a year, so a dollar a day, that goes into a general fund. Members can give more if they like or encourage family members or informal members to give to the fund. We have established a charitable fund at Foundation for the Carolinas. Over about a five-year period, we’ve been able to give about $40,000 in grants to nonprofits in the community and have given lots more in our time and talent. All proceeds from the sale of the book will go to benefit the giving circle to help with our grant making in the future. (Fullwood is a founding member of New Generation of African American Philanthropists. www.newphilanthropists.org)

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