Editor’s Note
“Why is it that every day it feels like my house is on fire?” My wife, Cheryl, dropped that on me a couple of weeks ago after watching one of the major network’s nightly news broadcasts. It covered the latest unsuccessful efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus, an update on the record number of claims filed for unemployment benefits – 30 million total so far, a segment on why the Dems and GOP are unable to reach a consensus to continue federal relief assistance, and a report on the controversy surrounding the re-opening of schools vs online instruction. If that were not enough, in the aftermath of George Floyd’s tragic death as a result of excessive force by police, the broadcast concluded with a piece on the hundreds of demonstrations across the country that are focused on the racial divide and social injustices that continue to tear at our democratic fabric.
It has been difficult for many of us to avoid feelings of panic or fear about what is currently happening in this country. As adults, the enormous changes to our daily lives have stressed out even the most optimistic among us. So, imagine how our “new normal” world must feel like to a teenager or a recent college graduate. They are, as we say, our best hope for the future. After all, they are Generation Z, the most diverse, well-educated and inclusive generation yet to come along. What are their thoughts about the social impact of all of this? We decided to ask them.
In this issue of the FPP Post, we are pleased to publish several articles on social justice written by current FPP students and recent FPP alumni: Esteban Linarez, JoJo Desir, Charlie Lemke-Bell and Jack Lewis. We asked them to choose one specific aspect on that topic, one about which they are particularly passionate. We asked them to speak their mind and to incorporate their real-life experiences to the degree they felt comfortable. They completed their articles last month and they appear together in this issue. I hope you find them as inspiring as I did and convinced that FPP is helping to prepare these future philanthropic leaders to make a difference in our community and in the world. They give me solace that, sometime in the future, it will not feel like every day our house is on fire.
Rick King, FPP Director