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A conversation with Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2024 annual meeting
WKKF President and CEO La June Montgomery Tabron joined Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton at the 2024 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) for a fireside chat about racial equity and why it matters.
In a thought-provoking discussion that touched on everything from the recent court-ordered suspension of one of the Fearless Fund’s grantmaking programs to the many ways in which leaders in business and government are continuing to lean in on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts despite over-publicized headwinds, Tabron explained the importance of racial equity, its critical connection to racial healing, and why WKKF trustees chose in 2007 to formally commit the foundation to be an anti-racist organization.
Tabron often says she was one of the children WKKF aims to serve. Her experiences rooted within her both a personal understanding of how racial inequity limits children’s access to opportunity and a desire to transform the systems and structures necessary to change that reality. Achieving racial equity means that a person’s racial identity doesn’t determine their experiences or the life outcomes for them and their family, and instead creates an environment where all families and children thrive.
During the conversation with Secretary Clinton, Tabron touched on lessons she shares in her book. The story details her life journey—from a childhood on the East Side of Detroit in the tumultuous 1960s and 70s to becoming president and CEO of the foundation— and how it led to insights on how we can collectively transcend the legacy of racial inequity, beginning with a conversation for racial healing.
“Diversity is one of America’s greatest strengths. We are better positioned for the future than any other nation in the world. It’s maddening to see people try to undermine or deny our diversity to our disadvantage.”~ Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton
“Diversity is one of America’s greatest strengths. We are better positioned for the future than any other nation in the world. It’s maddening to see people try to undermine or deny our diversity to our disadvantage.”
Secretary Clinton remarked that investments in cities like Detroit are making a difference, yet at the same time, there is pushback against racial equity and efforts to ensure all students have access to higher education. Tabron concurred, noting that she finds the pushback ironically encouraging because it means even the opponents of DEI and affirmative action recognize their efficacy.
The fireside chat starts 33:42.
Racial healing, Tabron shared, is how you build relationships across differences, and we cannot do it by being colorblind—that’s a disservice to how we learn to coexist and to have a shared understanding of how our differences make us stronger. If we continue to create connections across our differences with the help of racial healing, we can create a space where everyone has a more equitable shot at success.
“I want us to get out of young people’s way and allow them the pathway and brilliance they have to think about new ways of being for us.”~ La June Montgomery Tabron, WKKF President and CEO
“I want us to get out of young people’s way and allow them the pathway and brilliance they have to think about new ways of being for us.”
The fireside chat ended with Tabron sharing what fuels her continued optimism – today’s young people. Unlike older generations who are often stuck in the structures that ground them, young people are stepping into leadership creatively and taking advantage of tools not available to previous generations.
Our best path forward on racial equity lies, Tabron concluded, in ensuring young people get what they need to connect, thrive and discover new ways to work together across difference. Being on the ground in community and hearing young people say, “it’s my turn” is the best inspiration of all.