Black Philanthropy Month Spotlight: Kafi Moragne-Patterson

Kafi Moragne-Patterson is the Senior Program Director of College and Career Success at the UChicago Inclusive Economy Lab where she manages a complex portfolio of projects related to measuring the impact of education and economic mobility programs and policies across the city of Chicago. She also serves as a Lecturer at the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. Her career is broadly focused on examining the role and impact of racial and social inequalities on students of color’s educational and career trajectories. In 2022, she joined African American Legacy (AAL), an affinity fund advancing philanthropy in the Black community through collective giving.

She recently joined the Trust Content Specialist Liz Weber to discuss what inspired her to join AAL and her hopes for Chicago’s future. Some questions and answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Liz Weber: How did you get started with AAL, and what inspired you to join?

Kafi Moragne-Patterson: As a master’s student, I had the great fortune of interning with Waldo E. Johnson, Jr., Ph.D. at the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture at the University of Chicago. While there, we worked on securing early grants for an endeavor that evolved into AAL. Given that early connection point, I was eager to contribute over a decade later when Tyrone Forman and Baronica Roberson, both members of AAL, reached out and asked me if I would be interested in supporting the transformative work of the Trust broadly, and AAL in particular.

LW: That leads to the following question: What does philanthropy look like to you?

KMP: Toni Morrison once said, “The function of freedom is to free someone else.” That quote has always resonated with me. Philanthropy, to me, means elevating the existing, often overlooked, wisdom present within disinvested communities. Asking and listening to community members as they define root causes, opportunities, and solutions to social phenomena impacting their everyday lives. Finding myself in the privileged position of being on AAL means that it is my duty to seek out, listen to, and elevate the wisdom of marginalized groups in all that I do.

LW: When you think about the future of Chicago, what is something you hope to see? What’s a blue sky vision for you?

KMP: I often ask my social work and public policy students a very similar thing where I say, “Close your eyes. Describe what a healthy Chicago looks and sounds like for you and the populations you hope to serve.” When I do the exercise for myself, I hope to live in a Chicago that is thriving across all elements of the senses. What I mean by that is that I envision a Chicago built with universal design in mind where all residents can navigate the city with dignity. A healthy Chicago sounds like children laughing across all neighborhoods because gun violence no longer plagues the city. A healthy Chicago smells like there has been a steep reduction in pollution. A better Chicago feels like cross-sector collaboration, hand in hand, tackling the biggest challenges in our city. Finally, a healthy Chicago tastes like the elimination of food deserts across our city’s South and West sides.

LW: In the spirit of Black Philanthropy Month and based on your philosophy of giving, is there anybody who inspires you – an icon, leader, or even people in your own life?

KMP: Without a doubt-my grandparents put me on the pathway to be in service to groups like AAL. Their names were Elaine and Rudolph Moragne, and both were Chicagoans deeply invested in improving the life opportunities of Black communities through philanthropy. My grandfather was one of the first Black OBGYNs at the University of Chicago, and my grandmother was a trailblazer in the field of dietetics and cultural arts.
My grandmother served on the board of the South Side Community Arts Center for many years and supported Black artists her entire adult life. My grandfather was at the forefront of ensuring women, of all races, had access to safe reproductive choices at a time when seeking abortions was illegal. From them, I learned that philanthropy could take many forms, but whether it be offering your time, talent, or treasure, philanthropy should fundamentally be about preserving the dignity of all people.

In addition to my grandparents, I also think about the power of young people like Fred Hampton. At such a young age, he was able to build tremendous coalitions across groups that did not inherently see value in each other. In doing so, he built important bridges between members of multiple marginalized communities and united them for a greater cause. Lastly, I had the pleasure of recently having dinner with Beth Ann Hardison, who has a new documentary out about her work in the fashion industry. What a philanthropist! What a brilliant mind! She’s a great example of the ways that philanthropy need not be loud and attention-seeking. She had done so much for the world that I had not known. It was an honor to be in her orbit.