A year ago, I stepped into my role as Executive Director of the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality.
As I reflect on the past year, I find myself returning to the image of braiding sweetgrass—an Indigenous tradition that symbolizes interconnectedness, care, and reciprocity.1 Braiding requires three strands: the past, the present, and the future. Over the past year in my work at GCPI, we have woven these strands together to strengthen our work, our relationships, and our impact.
The first strand is our history. Our research center was founded by a leader in the fight for justice and against poverty: Peter Edelman. His work and the work of other anti-poverty and civil rights leaders laid the foundation for everything we do today. The second strand is my lived experience—my skills and track record in and out of government; insights as a first-generation Filipina-American; and the values I bring to this role. I have worked at the intersection of policy and advocacy, and I know firsthand the power of research-driven solutions in shaping an economy that works for everyone. The third strand is our collective vision for the future, one that we have crafted together with partners and as a team, ensuring our mission is as clear and urgent as ever.
Just as sweetgrass thrives in relationship with human hands, our work flourishes through collaboration. When harvested properly, sweetgrass grows back stronger—a lesson in mutual care. Over the past year, we have built a culture of shared leadership, weaving together the expertise of our staff, partners, and communities. (If you haven’t seen it yet, check out our updated mission statement and new agenda!) This internal work has prepared us for the challenges ahead.
The challenges ahead are daunting. The Trump Administration’s gutting of the federal workforce, funding freezes, and attacks on civil rights have already had consequences for the community pillars we all rely on, like schools, rural hospitals, nutrition programs for children, research laboratories, and nursing homes. Congress continues to threaten deep cuts to programs, like SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid, that support economic well-being and make our country stronger. We know what the consequences are likely to be: rising inequality, growing poverty, and an ever-widening gap between those with power and people struggling to make ends meet.
GCPI braids together the research, the relationships, and the resolve to navigate the policymaking process, and ensure that the voices of those most harmed are at the center of key decisions. We are trusted guides for policymakers, translating data into actionable ideas, and ensuring that facts push back against fearmongering.
We cannot and do not work alone. The solutions lie in the anti-poverty and economic justice movement— organizers and advocates fighting for progress and recognizing that we are stronger together. Those who seek to weaken government support for economic well-being rely on division. Our power lies in unity, in braiding our efforts together, in caring for one another, and growing back stronger.
As I look to the year ahead, I am filled with gratitude and determination. We have done the work to ready ourselves. Now, we move forward—together.
1. I first learned about braiding sweetgrass from Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.