Beyond Barriers: A Field That Refuses to Stand Still

In the wake of this year’s Beyond Barriers Conference, I’ve found myself returning again and again to the question Bakari Sellers posed to all of us: “Where do we go from here?”

It’s a question that is both deeply personal and profoundly collective. Bakari shared stories of perseverance and purpose, reminding us that our work in community development is part of a much longer story. It’s a story about resilience, faith, and the unshakable belief that progress is still possible, even in the hardest times.

This year’s gathering offered more than just panels and plenaries. It offered perspective. It gave us a chance to pause, reflect, and reconnect with why we do this work. The energy in the room was both sobering and inspiring. There was an honest acknowledgment of how difficult this moment is for our field, and yet, an unmistakable current of determination ran through every conversation.

Across the region, community development organizations are facing real pressure. Financial models are being tested. Partnerships are shifting. Public and private resources are tightening. And yet, in the face of all this, our members and partners continue to rise to the challenge.

After the keynote, I had the privilege of sitting down with Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, for a fireside chat. One line from that conversation has stayed with me:

“Our organization is nonpartisan,” Tonia said, “but not neutral.”

That statement sparked something powerful in the room and in me. It reminded me that our values are not negotiable. While our organizations may not take sides in partisan politics, we must never step aside when it comes to justice, equity, and opportunity. Neutrality in the face of inequity is not balance. It’s inaction.

As community development leaders, we exist precisely because neutrality isn’t an option. Our work is grounded in values: dignity, fairness, access, and the belief that everyone deserves a chance to thrive. These are not partisan ideas; they are human ones.

What I see across our membership is a field living those values every day; quietly, creatively, and courageously. You are finding new financing tools, exploring mergers and partnerships, and reimagining what sustainability looks like in the face of shifting realities. You are making hard decisions, but you are doing so in service of something bigger: keeping your doors open for the people who rely on you most.

That perseverance deserves recognition. Let’s be honest, the work is not getting easier. Housing costs continue to rise, small businesses still need flexible capital, and workforce challenges remain daunting. Yet even as the obstacles mount, so too does your resolve.

At the conference, I looked around and saw people who refuse to let barriers define what is possible. I saw leaders who collaborate instead of compete, who bring humility to hard conversations, and who find ways to move forward even when the path isn’t clear. I also saw something new this year: fresh faces. Many new practitioners and professionals were in the room, eager to learn, connect, and join this movement. That energy and curiosity reminded me that the future of this field is in good hands. It was proof that our work is resonating beyond our core membership and inspiring a new generation of community builders.

That’s what gives me hope. That’s what makes me proud.

In moments like these, it’s easy to get caught up in what’s not working… the funding gaps, the policy hurdles, the setbacks. But I want us to also see what is working. The ingenuity. The shared commitment. The countless small wins that add up to real impact. Despite every challenge, our collective progress is undeniable.

We see it in the preservation of affordable homes that might otherwise be lost, because leaders refused to give up on protecting stability for families and neighborhoods. We see it in the small business that grows because a lender took a chance. We see it in the residents who find hope and opportunity because of your programs, advocacy, and care.

That’s where we go from here. We keep going.
We go forward with courage because we know the stakes are too high to turn back.
We go forward with collaboration because we are stronger together than any one of us is alone.

And we go forward with conviction because our mission, to advance community economic development solutions that address the inequity of under-resourced communities in the District of Columbia, is as urgent as ever.

In our conversation, Tonia and I talked about how this work requires both heart and backbone. Heart to stay connected to the people and purpose that drive us. Backbone to stand firm in our values when it is tempting to retreat into comfort or caution.

That balance, of empathy and resolve, is where leadership lives. And it’s what I see every day across this field.

As we move beyond this year’s conference and back into the daily work of building and rebuilding, I want to extend my deepest gratitude. Thank you for the creativity, courage, and persistence you bring to this mission. Thank you for proving, time and again, that when faced with barriers, our community doesn’t stop. We innovate.

If you left Beyond Barriers feeling a sense of renewal, hold onto that. If you left feeling challenged, let that challenge guide you. And if you left wondering, like Bakari asked, “Where do we go from here?” know that the answer is already in the work you do every single day.

We go forward.
Together.
Beyond barriers.