Dr. Sakinah P. Harrison is a champion for educational equity and economic security, bringing over 15 years of experience as an educator, nonprofit leader, and advocate for systemic change. As a program officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, she works to ensure that philanthropic investments are not just strategic but rooted in community leadership, priorities, and lived experiences. With a deep commitment to racial and economic justice, Sakinah’s work integrates education and family economic security to build power and expand opportunities for children and families nationwide.
“I do believe the most effective way to disrupt harmful systems is to do so collectively, leveraging our interconnection, and offering creative approaches to seemingly intractable problems.”
What inspired you to pursue a career in philanthropy, particularly in early childhood?
I was drawn to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation because of the mission and unwavering commitment to racial equity and justice. I am a Black Southerner, Georgia born with Alabama roots. I entered the field of philanthropy with a clear understanding that the South receives less than 3% of philanthropic dollars nationwide, despite being a critical lever needed for progressive change in the country. I felt there was an opportunity to build power with a critical analysis of how and where philanthropic dollars are invested while holding true to the commitments of racial equity, authentic community engagement, and leadership at the foundation. As an early childhood educator, public school teacher and leader, nonprofit executive, and a former grantee, there was an opportunity to leverage my knowledge, experience, and expertise while working with leaders across the county.
Who is a Black leader—historical or contemporary—who has influenced your leadership and advocacy?
There are so many Black leaders, both historical and contemporary, that have influenced my leadership and advocacy. That said, I aim to honor my ancestors daily in the work that I do. I am always inspired by my parents and my six siblings that are all doing transformational work in their respective fields. In this time, I find myself thinking about liberatory education and the legacy of bell hooks, who reminds us: “when we talk about that which will sustain and nurture our spiritual growth as a people, we must once again talk about the importance of community. For one of the most vital ways we sustain ourselves is by building communities of resistance, places where we know we are not alone.”
I believe that these practices have sustained our past leaders, is sustaining us in this moment, and will sustain our leaders of tomorrow.
How do you see your work contributing to the legacy of Black leaders in early childhood philanthropy?
I am a firm believer that philanthropy has a responsibility to play a unique role in dismantling and reshaping systems of inequity that have perpetuated barriers to access, opportunities, and equitable outcomes. With the clear understanding that meaningful and enduring change must be driven in communities, particularly by those directly impacted by systemic racism, inequality, and oppression, my work at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation has provided the opportunity to integrate our work in education and family economic security. The premise of the Quality Care and Quality Jobs portfolio began with shifting our focus of starting with systems to centering the people. This includes building power through grassroots organizing efforts with an economic, racial, and gender justice lens. This intersectional approach has allowed the foundation to support movement priorities, with the opportunity to break the cycle of unbalanced philanthropic power so that communities can set forth their own priorities grounded in lived experience and local context, while amplifying the power of community to advance equity and justice at the local, state, national, and federal levels.
What advice would you give to the next generation of Black leaders in philanthropy and advocacy?
I am hopeful that leaders will lead with cultural consciousness that invests in and builds power with people who are most impacted by the issues we seek to address. We have the responsibility to elevate the strengths and assets of a diverse Black diaspora which positions us to address systemic challenges and strengthen the infrastructure of core institutions. We also have to support narrative work with constituents that represent their community’s strengths and unique opportunities. I am also a member of the Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE), one of the leading philanthropy-serving organizations focused on racial equity in the U.S. I encourage leaders to join this community as well.
What gives you hope for the future of early childhood philanthropy, and how can ECFC members be part of the change?
Philanthropy has a rich history of investing in people and addressing critical issues that are often overlooked—from access to books, nursing and teacher shortages—there have been advancements made over generations, and we have to learn from our past to transform the present and use radical imagination to envision the future.
We have the power to use our imaginations to challenge systems of oppression and to create a world in which everyone can thrive. I encourage my peers to be bold and think expansively: How can we further our reach and impact outside of traditional early childhood spaces? How are we engaging in allyship, embracing bold advocacy and legal strategies? Who are we not currently engaging? How do we use narrative change strategies to combat erasure?
I do believe the most effective way to disrupt harmful systems is to do so collectively, leveraging our interconnection, and offering creative approaches to seemingly intractable problems. As funders, we are resource-full and deeply connected—we have an opportunity to move proactively, support communities with unwavering enthusiasm, and leverage every tool at our disposal to protect civil society and fight for justice. We are the people we’ve been waiting for—let’s act like it. The future of our children and communities depends on it.