One World Link

As terms like equity replace concepts of diversity, it is clear that using words without intentionality, has yielded suboptimal results. The work our organization has engaged in is the actualization of equitable outcomes. We focus on addressing internalized oppression over structural oppression through a healing centered approach that centers Blackness as critical to the equity process. We have shown that when community works together, we can solve large problems. As Africa is rapidly developing, it can do so in sustainable ways or more extractive methods. Connecting Black leadership together to form relationships and develop strategies on a global scale it part of the healing process that needs to occur. 

Our work is to expand social connections between Black people through common indigenous language initiative that will bring Swahili language courses to over 1 million Black people so that we can start to start to see each other more wholly. Additionally the Black Business Support Network will be expanded globally. These social connections are a part of addressing internalized oppression and a prerequisite to other structural conversations that need to occur. The conversations have started on this work and the resources from this prize can make the conversations a reality.   

My name is Adeoti Arimide Adetunji Oguntoye and I am a child of Nigerian immigrants, but born in Atlanta, Georgia. I spent the first half of my life running away from my heritage. I remember literally hiding from the sun so my melanin-rich skin wouldn't get darker. When I went to college (Emory University) and graduate school (Columbia University), it was evident there was a disproportionate population of African and Caribbean Black people and I started to feel having a triple consciousness (being Black, American and the child of immigrants), was my super power.  Through my internship at the United Nations focusing on global youth strategies, I came to understand what a global collective impact model could do to the communities I care about. 

I have spent the second half of my life leaning my history and heritage. From doing Refugee resettlement work, to designing international programs, the culmination has been the developing a non profit, One World Link (OWL). Our mission is to use local resources to solve community problems. 

My personal mission is to live my life in such a way that people will know what all is possible.  

The the racial wealth gap, opportunity gap and health gap for Black people is growing. We believe centering Blackness is the part of the solution. We say, 'the culture is the cure.' Centering Black culture through indigenous African language acquisition, it not only a signal to Black people globally that the language of commerce and connection need not ONLY be English, but provides an opportunity to rebuild connection through an African centered lens. 

We are saying that the solutions to a host of issues must include the voices of those most impacted. Black people need each other the world over for safety from anti-Black racism. Language is a mechanism to see each other more fully. 

We have connected students to schools in Liberia and taken groups to South Africa and Cuba to connect with other Black people on learning exchanges. Domestically we also connect communities, taking over 1 million bottles of water to residents in Flint during the lead water crisis.

OWL also provide networking and technical support to Black Businesses to provide economies of scale to small Black-owned businesses. If Black businesses can hire one additional person, they would help close the employment gap in the US.     

An innovations OWL brings is the use of a healing centered paradigm (HCP) which requires addressing the systemic impediment as part of the healing. This is in contrast to trauma informed care (TIC) which can result in people learning to cope within oppressive systems. TIC asks what happened to a person, while HCP asks why did what happen to a person, happen. They lead to very different strategies and outcomes. 

Secondly, the idea of centering Blackness let's us see our work as what is in the best interest of Black people's well being as opposed to what the current system allows. 

Taken together, these lenses elevate addressing internalized oppression over systemic oppression. We realize that Black people have given much to the country and world even impacted by systemic and historic trauma. We can only imagine the contributions the world and Black people will gain from being healed. 

We know that Black leadership has not been supported by philanthropy with less than 3% of US funding going towards Black led nonprofits. We think that in order to really support Black leadership at the scale of impact, we must use different a different paradigm than a purely Eurocentric framework.     

We use an outcome focused approach in our work that looks at root causes of social problems. An increase in outputs over time is not a badge of honor to us. With our asset based framing, we seek more than harm reduction. These principles require us to have courageous conversations with those who hold power as well as with the communities we live and serve in. 

Our process is starting where community is, by working together to address the immediate community needs. In the process of addressing the problem, we build trust and relationships. While we are working through the solution, we have conversations about the root causes of the problems. Using Neighborhood Completeness Index, we looks a the federal, state and local entities stated requirements (for example the Dept. of Education requirements for school access) and where there are gaps. This becomes a tool to hold the systems accountable by their own standards. Using this method, we have helped students organize to keep their school open, created green spaces, increased service provision and a host of other things. 

We have applied these principles globally and have had significant impact for communities.