Blog

It’s a party, y’all…

March 9, 2021

Frontline is turning sweet 16, and we have a year’s worth of celebration and reflection planned. Welcome to our brand new website! Here, over the next six months, we’d love to take you on a journey with us—to our past and present, and into the future. Here’s a taste of what’s to come:

[Community] Everything we do, we do in community. Through December, we’re inviting folks who inspire us to share memories and impressions of our work together. First up, Sherece Y. West-Scantlebury, CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation (WRF), had this to say:

“Frontline’s superpower is its team—The Panther League (I made that up), X-men, or Justice League. Since its inception and over the years, I have been proud of and impressed by all the talented people at Frontline who have worked with WRF and delivered for us every time. In the field of nonprofit movement- building, Frontline is an invaluable resource, offering coaching, mentoring, direction, guidance, and support, and building the infrastructure that is crucial to ensuring justice and equity. And Melissa is Nubia, the Wonder Woman. She is the right leader at the right time.”

Thank you, Sherece! We’re honored to be in community with you. We’re all working on our superhero suits.

[Past] We’re making time for reflection. Our founders, partners, staff, clients, and friends will share stories about our history and what we learned along the way.

To get us started, here is our CEO Melissa DeShields with a teaser about our origin story. For more, look out for our 5-part podcast series!

[Present] We’re making space for real-time learning. Stay tuned for some exciting conversations we have planned about some of the most pressing questions, issues, and ideas of the current moment, from the political power of Black women, to equitable recovery, to funding Black wealth.

And, check out this blog about one of the lessons that is integral to everything we do—that Black women are always at the frontlines of change.

[Future] We’re traveling into the Black Future. We believe that the future is created every day, in ordinary moments, by the small choices we make, by the work we do together, by our collective imagination, through networks of solidarity, through joy and love. We can live in the future right now. Linear time is a construct. This year, we are joining so many others in manifesting a Black Future where all people are free. We’ll be posting and lifting up blogs, podcasts, images, music, and more, all around the following question: What is it like to live in the Black Future? Follow us on social media and tag us with your Black Future imaginings. And, look out for an announcement about some exciting prizes…

[Joy] It’s not a party without music…

Over on Spotify, we’re curating our Sweet 16 Playlist that tells our story, from the early hustle of our founders, partners, and staff, to meeting the current moment with a vision and approach that centers community, equity, and impact. Allow us to reintroduce ourselves like Jay-Z. This is our public service announcement.

We hope you’ll come on this journey with us! We’re so grateful that you’re part of our story and community.