>
>I appreciate the women who still post here (and that there's
>still a few of us here at all lol).

a few is pretty accurate LOL

. But ya, when old controversial posts are
>upped for whatever reason, I find your truthbombs age super
>well even tho the language may have rubbed some the wrong way
>at the time.

and still does...but thanks so much for that recognition.

>Anyway, I'd enjoy reading anything you have to say on the
>topics listed, but I suppose I'm most interested in your
>insider knowledge of the non-profit industrial complex lol.
>What are top signs you would look for to determine whether an
>org is on the typical bs?? Board diversity? Funding sources?
>Lack of scandals/headlines?

White its really difficult to see potential problems in any nonprofit from the outside, I do think board diversity is a really important external indicator. How many BIPOC board members are there? are any of them in Officer positions? how many are women? Are the Board President, Treasurer and Board VP all white men? who are their major donors? Is there mission aligned with their programs? Are their programs addresses the root cause of a problem or just its symptoms? (i.e. feeding the hungry instead of directly addressing and trying to solve for why people are hungry)


>
>Additionally, re: parenting, you've talked about how your boys
>are grown now and totally flourishing, which has got to be
>such an incredible feeling. If you had become a parent later
>in life, like in your 40s or late 30s as many people are
>nowadays, which parenting aspects would stand out to you as
>likely being much more difficult for older first-time parents
>vs. younger first-time parents? And which would stand out as
>likely being a bit easier? Basically: knowing what you know
>now, how might first-time-parent-at-younger-age Damali advise
>ofirst-time-parent-at-older-age Damali?

ok you're probably gonna hate this answer but i feel like i can't really answer that cuz i have no frame of reference for being an 'older' parent. i mean i can guess, but i hate to put parenting stereotypes into the ether cuz that's one of the things i hold most sacred for women to wrestle with for themselves...that 'hard' or 'easy' are constructs that often hold us back from simply doing what's best for our own lives at the time. In general, parenting is both the hardest and the easiest thing i've ever done and age is only one variable, of so many, in how one would evaluate that.

>Re: grad school, do you have plans/interest to pursue more,
>like a Ph.D or anything?

yes, and only because i'd like to be a professor in my older years and having a doctorate seems to be the only path to that...

if i were to do it, though, i would ONLY do it at an HBCU. I would not want to give another dollar of my money to a PWI and really wish I'd come to that decision earlier before getting two degrees from NYU

>
>And lastly, you've posted recently about getting more involved
>in politics, pursuing training, etc. May I ask what level(s)
>of politics most interest you (eg. local, state, federal, all
>of the above),

I'm definitely most interested in local or state politics cuz the majority of the political power lies there. However, i don't feel anchored enough to any particular community to decide where I would do that...especially since my true desire is to leave the US for a while

but if i ever were to 'settle' somewhere again (i'm currently houseless living in a temporary airbnb situation), then i would absolutely run for state or local office of some kind. If nothing else, but to keep progressive ideas in the public debate ethos.

and whether you're drawn to more
>behind-the-scenes work or being a candidate yourself?

even though i wrote the above, i'd actually prefer behind the scenes..like something policy related in the executive branch, or being a committee aide in the Senate...research and helping to write policy briefs etc...but those jobs tend to lean more toward younger candidates who are fresh outta college and have the privilege to work 24 hours a day for a small annual salary or the energy to work 24 hours a day. i have neither at almost 50 LOL

with that said, i have recently been endorsed by the Progressive Talent Pipeline (https://progressivetalentpipeline.org/) and do attend trainings and info sessions on how congress works.

And btw
>I think your pursuit is awesome and hope you're able to share
>some aspects of what you learn along the way.

much appreciated

d


"But rest assured, in my luxurious house built on the backs of people darker than me, I am sipping fine scotch and scoffing at how stupid you are." - bshelly