Community Rising: Reflections from the Whitman-Walker Gala
Community Rising: Reflections from the Whitman-Walker Gala
By Monica T. Ray
PowerShifts | www.MonicaRay.net
A Night of Purpose, Progress, and Power
Last night, I had the privilege of joining hundreds of champions of equity at the Whitman-Walker Gala—an evening steeped in celebration, courage, and truth-telling. It was also my honor to introduce the premiere of “Community Rising,” Whitman-Walker’s powerful year-in-review video.
As the lights dimmed and the film illuminated the room, what unfolded on the screen was more than a highlight reel. It was a love letter to resilience, revealing the extraordinary progress Whitman-Walker has made over the past year while also naming the reality:
significant funding losses, looming challenges, and a future that still demands vigilance, innovation, and unwavering advocacy.
Seeing the Mirror in Their Story
As I watched Community Rising, I found myself deeply moved—not just by their journey, but by how closely it mirrors the lived experience of so many community-based institutions I am privileged to lead and serve.
Across Prospering Places, the Congress Heights Partnership, Soul of the City BID, and the many coalitions and tables where I work, the storyline is painfully familiar:
•Do more with less.
•Stand tall while the ground shifts beneath you.
•Hold the community together even when resources fray.
•Lead with humanity when the work feels heavy.
Whitman-Walker’s story is our story.
The struggle is shared.
And so is the hope.
Resilience as a Form of Love
If there was one takeaway from the evening, it is this:
Miracles don’t simply happen in the light — they are created by people who refuse to surrender in the dark.
That is the work of community.
That is the work of every organizer, every healer, every advocate, every neighbor who says, “Not on my watch.”
We Rise Because the People Deserve It
As the applause faded and the gala lights warmed the room, I left reminded of my own charge, and the charge we all share: to keep rising, keep pushing, and keep believing in the transformative power of collective will.
Whitman-Walker reminded us last night that even when the challenges are steep, the victories are sacred.
That is community rising.
That is who we are.
And that is the essence of every power shift we are making across this city.
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