We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful GIZETTE KNIGHT. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with GIZETTE below.
GIZETTE, appreciate you joining us today. Can you tell us a story about a time you failed?
During the Black Lives Matter movement I co-organizing two marches in downtown phoenix. However, I wanted to do more. I saw people painting Black Lives Matter murals in the street and I wanted to bring that to Phoenix. I lobbied to garner support from Phoenix Council members. I received some good feedback and was able to get majority of the council members on board. When it came time to deliver votes in favor of the mural, the same council members were persuaded to recant their support. When the rejection went public, I felt like I failed my community, all the artists that signed up to paint, and the Phoenix community because they donated funds to make this happen.
I remember watching Ava Duvernay speaking about changing our perspective, how we view situations. She said, ”This isn’t happening to me, it’s happening for me”. That quote helped me pivot into my Black History Mural Project. I felt that if the Phoenix city council wouldn’t allow me to paint one mural, well then, I’m going to paint 28 and that is exactly what I did. I painted 28 murals representing the 28 days in Black History Month. My project has become so successful that it’s now a national Black History Mural painting project with major corporation sponsorship. I turned my failure into triumph.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
When I worked at Target, many years ago, I work in the Loss Prevention department. One day, I apprehended a guy stealing food and shoes. I discovered he was 19 years old and homeless. After mentally processing the apprehension, I decided that if I was going to work in prevention, it was going to be in the area of advocacy. Therefore, I aligned myself with organizations that helped underprivileged individuals, including the unsheltered and LGBTQ youth. Most importantly, these organizations helped individuals get the resources they needed to become stable. Since then, I have volunteered for over a dozen nonprofit organizations, and founded my own 501(c)3 called the Shining Light Foundation. We have been in existence for 4 years and have accomplished so much. Our Arts and Culture project is a national project with major corporate sponsorship. The goal of the Black History Mural Project is to educate people about the significant contributions Black people made to society. Every year we contract artists to paint 28 murals representing the 28 days in Black History Month. So far, we have painted over 100 murals in 8 different cities.
Our second prominent project is called A Day of Kindness. This project is where we strategically go into marginalized communities and provide them with resources. This may involve feeding and giving showers to the unsheltered, removing debris, liter and garbage from disinvested neighborhoods or planting tees in underserved communities, and more. If there is something we can’t specifically deliver, then we collaborate with other organizations that can.
What sets us a part from other nonprofits, is that we see the intersectionality in all areas of community advocacy. It’s not unconventional for us to tap into different fields of community advocacy and empowerment. We’re not just an arts organization or environmental organization; we are multifaceted. As long as the need or want fits within our mission and the scope of work we do, the Shining Light Foundation will be there to service marginalized communities.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I believed what helped me build my reputation in the nonprofit field and art community was being transparent, humble and honest. I’m very intentional about the work I do in marginalized communities, I’m transparent about the projects we conduct and I always get buy in from the communities we serve. I understand the work we do is bigger than myself and I act as such.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I love quotes, especially when they guide you in a time of confusion and frustration. When I’m feeling down, frustrated or confused within my leadership role, I go to YouTube and listen to Ava DuVernay’s top ten tips for success and the commencement speech Denzel Washington gave to the graduating class of Dillard University and University of Pennsylvania. Denzel said in one of his speeches if you hang around the barbershop long enough, eventually you’ll get a hair cut. I think of this quote when we’re applying for grants and receive a rejection letter or two, maybe even three. This quote encourages me to keep applying to different grants because eventually we’ll receive that important grant award letter offering us the resources we need to continue this work.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shining-light.org
- Instagram: @shininglightfnd
- Facebook: @shininglightfnd
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