President's Letter: Announcing The Courage Project

Dear friends,

Five years ago, Idaho public school teacher Sarah Inama put up a sign in her classroom: “Everyone is welcome here.” In January, district officials told her the sign was controversial and that she would have to take it down. Sarah initially complied, knowing that her job was on the line. But then she did something remarkable. That weekend, Sarah returned to the classroom to put the sign back up. She explained her choice: “There are only two opinions on this sign: Everyone is welcome here or not everyone is welcome here.” Sarah risked a job she loves to stand up for her values — and through her courage, she inspired thousands of her neighbors to show their commitment to creating a welcoming community.

This April, after hearing that more than 300 books would be removed from the U.S. Naval Academy’s library, alumnus William Marks, who retired from the Navy as a commander, sprung into action. He reached out to Old Fox Books, a shop in Annapolis that had started ordering several banned titles. His plan: a GoFundMe campaign he called “Operation Caged Bird,” named after Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which had been removed from the Naval Academy library. The project would support Old Fox’s owners, Jinny Amundson and Janice Holmes, as they distribute banned books to midshipmen and community members alike.

In recent months, I’ve talked a lot about courage. Now, I’m excited to announce that Freedom Together is joining with charitable foundations and nonprofit partners to launch The Courage Project to honor organizations and individuals like Sarah, Cmdr. Marks, Jimmy, and Janice, who embody this core American value. The Courage Project is made possible by a coalition of national nonprofits and foundations, including United Way Worldwide, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Marguerite Casey Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Public Welfare Foundation, The Skillman Foundation, the Surdna Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, and CFLeads.

It’s no secret that vulnerable communities — and our democracy more broadly — face acute threats. Amid these mounting challenges, it’s easy to forget that acts of profound courage are taking place across the country every day. As we prepare to mark the 250th Anniversary of our country’s founding, our goal is to highlight and celebrate these acts of civic bravery, which exemplify the best of who we are and can be.

The Courage Project is backed by an initial $5 million commitment from the founding partners. The project distributes awards to organizations and honors everyday people who are exhibiting courage by standing up for what they believe in, helping their neighbors, and building bridges within and across communities.

You can learn more by visiting the Courage Project’s website at thecourageproject.org. There, you can read about all of our amazing first slate of awardees and nominate individuals and organizations that act with courage, kindness, and decency.

Freedom Together stands with all who strive to create a stronger multi-racial democracy that works for every person. We believe that The Courage Project — and those it celebrates — will help us to realize that vision.

In solidarity,

Deepak Bhargava