“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.”
— H.E. Luccock

The above quote by Halford E. Luccock, the prominent African American methodist minister, author, and academic, beautifully captures how the work of institution-building is, above all, an act of faith: faith in shared vision, faith in the alchemy of collaboration, and faith in the wisdom that comes from honoring both ancestry and future possibility. In the spirit of Sankofa the Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo Foundation has spent these past months engaged in the quiet, painstaking, and often invisible labor of assembling its inaugural governance and advisory bodies.

The Stewards: Board of Trustees

The formation of our Board of Trustees has been an exercise in both discernment and courage. Drawing from the worlds of the arts, academia, public policy, and enterprise, this group embodies the global, interdisciplinary spirit that animates our Foundation’s mission. They are not mere overseers; they are custodians of Mĩcere’s legacy, guardians of Utu, and champions of the possibilities of an Africana future.

In a time when the work of building Africana institutions often means navigating tangled and ideological bureaucracies, resource constraints, and drastically shifting philanthropic landscapes, we have sought out trustees who lead with both vision and pragmatism—luminaries whose personal and professional journeys reflect the Foundation’s ambition to be bold, compliant, relevant, and resonant. Their presence assures us that the Foundation will remain anchored in its founding values, even as it stretches toward global impact.

The Elders: Council of Patrons

No journey, however well-stewarded, flourishes without the counsel of elders. The forthcoming Council of Patrons: a distinguished cohort whose devotion to cultural, literary, scholarly, and philanthropic excellence spans continents and generations. These are women and men who have, in the words of Ama Ata Aidoo, “dared to plant a tree whose shade they may never sit under.” Their wisdom, encouragement, and advocacy will serve as inspiration, and a moral compass as we navigate the inevitable headwinds and opportunities ahead.

Looking Ahead

Building these bodies has required deep listening, wide consultation, and a humility born of knowing that we stand, as Mĩcere herself did, on the shoulders of giants. We have labored to ensure diversity not only of background but of thought, geography, and discipline—knowing that the tapestry of Global Africa is at its richest when its many threads are visible, valued, and vibrant.

With gratitude, we look forward to sharing more about these extraordinary individuals in the coming weeks. We are confident that their leadership will be felt not just in the governance of the Foundation, but in the vibrancy and reach of our developing programming and engagements, and our vision for a world transformed by Africana thought and action.

As we turn this page in our journey, we are buoyed by the words of Mĩcere herself:
“Let the circle be unbroken, let the stories be told, let the futures we imagine find fertile ground.”

Thank you for walking this path with us.In solidarity and hope,
The Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo Foundation Leadership Team