Kalia Abiade: Dreaming of a Soft Place to Land

Dreaming in Color

Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Darren Isom, a partner with The Bridgespan Group, that provides a space for social change leaders of color to reflect on how their life experiences, personal and professional, have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek.

In this episode, we welcome Kalia Abiade, vice president of programs at Pillars Fund, a national nonprofit social investment fund that amplifies the leadership, narratives, and talents of Muslims in the US. At Pillars Fund, Kalia is responsible for sharpening the organization's vision and collaborating across teams to advance and execute Pillar's mission and strategy. She draws on nearly two decades of experience advocating for equity and racial justice in media, policy, and philanthropy, and I'm lucky to talk with her today.

Listen in as Kalia shares her experience migrating from California to Chicago, the legacy of activism in her family, and her dream of lifting the burden and making the world a softer place to land for her children and future generations.

Jump Straight Into

(0:28) Introduction of Kalia Abiade: Vice President of Programs at Pillars Fund

(2:40) Kalia offers inspirational words from the legendary James Baldwin

(7:30) Kalia shares her migration story from California to Chicago and reflects on the migration stories of those before her.

(14:30) Kalia talks about converting to Islam, the idea of Zakat and strategic philanthropy, and how that influences her work at Pillars

(18:00) Kalia quotes Hussein Rashid, “there has never been an America without Muslims,” and explains that her role is to shine light on the narrative versus shifting it.

(20:57) We explore the challenges of raising Black children in a hardened society and dream of building a softer place for our children to land.

(22:35) The conversation shifts to the role of joy in sustaining us during times of strife.

(26:51) Working together: “if this is happening to Muslim communities, it can happen and has happened to so many others.”

Episode Resources

• Connect with Kalia through LinkedIn
• Learn more about Kalia’s work at Pillars Fund
• Listen to Kalia’s talk at last year’s Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) 2022 National Conference
• Learn more about the work of Hussein Rashid
• Explore the life and work of James Baldwin
• Learn about the activism of the Brotherhood of the Sleeping Car Porters
• Read about the history of the Great Migration