A LETTER FROM MARIA

When Washington Women’s Foundation (WaWF) opened our nomination period for the Rest and Repair Awards last year, I admit I was uncertain about the response. Would people embrace this opportunity to celebrate Black women leaders shaping communities across Washington State? How many women would we discover whose names we had never heard but whose impact was unmistakable? And, perhaps somewhat grimly, how many organizations were really out there that supported Black women’s leadership?

All our questions were answered, of course.

The nominations poured in, revealing hundreds of Black women leaders whose impact was undeniably powerful and frequently unsung. Happily, there were many organizations actively supporting Black women’s leadership. WaWF is deeply proud to be able to offer information about a smattering of these organizations through this guide.

In the stories of these organizations, we see the impact of Black women's leadership in Washington. We can see, here, the evidence of often unseen Black women building community, challenging the status quo, crafting solutions around barriers, and as always, lifting as they climb.

I find I am most humbled by the care for one another represented in these pages. In these times of rancorous partisanship and outrageous attacks on human liberties and basic freedoms, seeing so many people striving every day to love one another and act in accordance with that love is no small thing. These pages represent more to me than a simple giving guide. These pages are hope. It is our joy and pleasure to give it to you.

— Maria Maria Kolby-Wolfe WaWF President & CEO