Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1302805
TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOB, AND WHY YOU CHOSE YOUR CAREER FIELD. As the executive director of the Griffith Family Foundation, I have orchestrated the design and implementation of a social justice framework for inclusive and community- centered grant-making in Middle Georgia. I enjoy creating opportunities to better engage organizations and grassroots leaders for sustainability and impact. My background in international TONJA KHABIR, 33 Executive Director, Griffith Family Foundation public health and grassroots nonprofit leadership led me to this space of social justice philanthropy. My passion for community, culture and connection is what encourages my efforts daily. TELL US ABOUT YOUR ACTIVITIES IN THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY WHAT YOU'RE MOST EXCITED ABOUT. I am passionate about history and culture, particularly as a means of encouraging anti-racism and racial equity. With a team, I worked to establish the Central Georgia Empowerment Fund, a black giving circle, to encourage inclusion in philanthropy, as well as the Black Business Support Fund to support black businesses disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2018, I began an ongoing project to highlight the former Bobby Jones Performing Arts Center to organize community members through collaborative planning. The goal was to tackle blight, mobilize community and showcase the history and culture of the Pleasant Hill neighborhood. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED DURING THESE PANDEMIC TIMES? I spent a lot of the pandemic seeking grounding. Because I was also recovering from a recent surgery, I learned in a very real way that on the other side of pain, trauma, confusion and anxiety, there is healing. It may not look or feel pretty in the moment, but if we give ourselves that space and time to heal, we are better able to be on the frontlines of any form of change. Audre Lorde said that caring for oneself is not self-indulgent, it is an act of political warfare. The challenges we face in this time are real, and we must be prepared for the long game in every case. WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE TO ENCOURAGE CONTINUED PROGRESS IN OUR CITY? I am excited about the ability to redefine leadership, access and power. "IF WE AS A COMMUNITY ARE ABLE TO BETTER CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER, WE COULD REALLY PRODUCE SOME MAGIC." -TONJA KHABIR 36 maconmagazine.com | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020