A Year-end Reflection from Mikeya Griffin
Two years ago, I came into this role ready to inject new energy into an institution approaching its 30th anniversary. And, together, we’ve made significant strides.
Mikeya Griffin, Executive Director
December 15, 2023
If we’ve met, you already know: This work is deeply personal for me. As a daughter of Rondo and the first African American woman to lead this organization, my gratitude for this opportunity and the immensity of the responsibility as your Executive Director brings tears to my eyes. So, first, thank you. Thank you for trusting me with this sacred work to reclaim our community power and reinvigorate the legacy of Black excellence, abundance and joy.
Two years ago, I came into this role ready to inject new energy into an institution approaching its 30th anniversary. And, together, we’ve made significant strides.
With the support of our partners and community members, the Rondo Community Land Trust has grown from a budget of $300,000 to $2 million annually, and raised another $12 million for projects in just 24 months. We’ve added 50 units of housing, expanded 15,000 feet of commercial space and articulated an innovative reparative development framework that centers the right to return for Black families and long-term community wealth building.
The numbers are impressive. But that’s not the only way I measure success.
I was raised in this community and the work I do is an expression of my ancestors and mentors. Yes, I’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with city and state leaders announcing ground-breaking projects and innovative initiatives that have put our CLT on the national radar. But I know we’re making progress when I walk the Selby corridor and Black entrepreneurs wave from storefronts and Black families are sitting on their front stoops. I know we’re stoking the inherent power of our community because I can feel a rising sense of joy and hope; a village ready to come together as a collective to move transformative change.
That’s why I continue this work in the face of tremendous challenges. I’m fiercely committed to centering our community knowledge over outside interests or extractive practices — and I’m ready to take the calculated risks necessary to make the big and lasting changes our community deserves. Together, we can repair the harms of the past and write the next chapter of prosperity for Rondo, now and for generations to come.
Mikeya Griffin, Executive Director