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Dear John,
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This week, we took a big step forward to realizing our vision for the Courage Museum, opening in 2021 on the Main Post of the Presidio National Park in San Francisco, as we hosted Night of Courage, honoring survivors and activists who will collaborate on the stories featured in the Museum.
Courage Award recipient Chanel Miller, Courage Museum designer Jake Barton and KQED journalist Mina Kim
Credit: Devlin Shand and Drew Altizer for Drew Altizer Photography
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I was inspired by each recipient of the inaugural FUTURES Courage Awards, for transforming painful circumstances no one would have chosen, into a greater sense of purpose benefiting us all.
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Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a professor of psychology and a biostatistician, endured threats, harassment and the loss of her family’s peace and privacy, to fulfill what she regarded as her civic duty: testifying during the Senate confirmation hearings of then Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. She now mentors young people --and learns from them -- on the importance of civic engagement. In the words of our friend, Senator Kamala Harris, Dr. Ford, at a tremendous cost to herself and her family, demonstrated “the transformative power of one voice.”
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Artist and author Chanel Miller survived not only sexual assault, but also the systemic injustice of a judicial process that seemed to place a higher value on her attacker’s athletic career than on her pain and loss. Known then only as “Emily Doe,” her victim impact statement became the basis for her brilliant, bestselling memoir, “Know My Name.” Her story of resilience, grit and wit inspires millions.
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Tyah-Amoy Roberts was a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on the day a gunman opened fired, killing 17 people, injuring 17 others, and launching the March for Our Lives movement, of which Tyah is now a leader. She speaks around the country about the intersection of gun violence and other, pervasive forms of violence against women and communities of color, reminding us, in the words of the gifted educator Wanda M. Holland Greene, “there should be no contest between constituencies and communities when our physical and psychological safety are at risk.”
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Today is Valentine’s Day, for many, a celebration of love. For Tyah and the survivors of Parkland, it is the anniversary of the day everything changed. In their honor, in memory of those lost, and in honor of our Courage Award nominees, I offer this month’s dose of optimism and a plan for action. Here are two things you can do in February:
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1) See why we are so excited about the Courage Museum. Opening in 2021 on the Main Post of the Presidio National Park in San Francisco, we will dedicate public land to providing a public service: ending the public health crisis of violence, and the hate that fuels it. Join us in building courage a home. |
2) Learn about the Peace Plan for A Safer America, Tyah and the March for Our Lives students developed. It includes proposals to keep guns from domestic violence abusers, as well as plans to engage more young people in the political process, with a youth service corps focused on gun violence prevention. Let’s support them. |
The Courage Museum will be a design lab for human change, and a launchpad for the next generation of activists, a home for everyone committed to building the very different future we need.
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All of us at FUTURES look forward to welcoming you with open hearts.
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With optimism and courage,
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