The WILLA Foundation was born out of a personal journey rooted in the impact of a remarkable woman named Willa King. Growing up under her guidance as a young child, I was fortunate to have a mother who recognized the significance of providing me with a comprehensive education that celebrated the contributions of Black Americans. 

My mother adorned our home with Black Encyclopedias, books by Black authors, and works that explored the rich tapestry of the Black community. Through her deliberate efforts, I was immersed in black art, culture, and history, receiving an education far beyond the classroom's confines.

It was during a car ride in Richmond, Virginia, that a pivotal moment unfolded. As we observed the economic disparities between white and Black neighborhoods, I turned to my mother for an explanation. In that transformative moment, Willa King wove together a poignant American history lesson, starting from Africa through the transatlantic slave trade and extending to our present reality in 1974. 

Through her words, she illuminated the path forged by Black Americans, juxtaposed against the barriers imposed by white supremacy. My mother instilled in me an unwavering sense of self-worth. She kindled a resilient spirit necessary to navigate the challenging landscape of America and the world, armed with a profound understanding of our history and legacy.

Fuelled by that revelation, The WILLA Foundation emerged as a vessel for knowledge. My mother never treated history as a fence. She gave me our story first, because she knew a child has to stand on solid ground, and then she widened the frame: every person she met carried a history worth knowing, and she made room for all of them. That is the whole of her lesson. Know where you come from, and understand that the country you live in is made of everyone else's histories too, including the ones that never got written down.

What began as one mother's lesson has grown into a larger calling. The deeper we went into archives, the clearer it became that Willa's way of seeing belongs to everyone. Every family carries stories that were never recorded, and every community has chapters the official history skipped. Black history remains at the heart of our work, and it always will. Today the WILLA Foundation opens its doors to all families and communities whose stories deserve to be found, preserved, and told. We stand on the foundation Willa King built, with an unwavering belief that knowledge, pride, and a profound understanding of our history are the keys to a future we can all claim.