Catchin' Up With a Cookie: Chris LeFlore
Chris LeFlore
2007 Young Scholar; 2012 College Scholar, Williams College; 2018 Graduate Scholar, University of Michigan
Chris LeFlore is special assistant to the president at The Kresge Foundation. Previously, Chris worked as a policy analyst for the City of Detroit in the office of Council Member Ayers. Chris was also chosen as a fellow for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in summer 2017, and most recently worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in their Community Development and Policy Studies division.
Chris is the cofounder of two nonprofits, BankBlackUSA and M-Years. BankBlackUSA is a nationwide grassroots organization that works to promote financial inclusion and wealth building through research and advocacy. M-YEARS is an education enrichment program that teaches STEM, social studies and urban planning to middle school students in northeast Detroit.
What does being a Cooke Scholar mean to you?
Being a Cooke Scholar gave my journey purpose at a young age. The scholarship was obviously an enormous privilege. Not only did I have access to the best education money could buy, but I was surrounded by people who cared about my success.
The community of Cooke Scholars is second to none. I am amazed that I can count myself as a part of this group. Whenever I am in a room of Cookies I am astounded by the breadth and depth of knowledge. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I deserve to be in the room, too. That reassurance is also provided by my fellow Cookies, some of whom I can call my best friends. It is crazy to think that since I was a Young Scholar, many of my oldest friends came from my cohort. Probably the most unexpected part of the scholarship has been talking with people who have known me since I was 12 years old, and who have seen my successes and failures through all of its iterations. That type of perspective is priceless.
I had plenty of struggles in my academic career, and through it all, the Foundation not only stuck by my side, but lifted me up, even at my lowest points. That commitment to my well-being means the world to me. The Foundation has always served its Scholars without obligation. There isn’t a certain level of success we are required to achieve. Still, the blessings and opportunities make me want to use them to the fullest and pass them forward, so that others can enjoy it as well.
Tell us about a memorable moment in undergrad or graduate school.
During my time working for Detroit City Council, I wrote a resolution celebrating Juneteenth as a day of Black Economic Liberation
I am going to take the liberty to talk about something I actually did right before I started undergrad. During the summer before my freshman year, I did Civic Week with the Foundation and I have never had an opportunity to talk about this experience! For the uninitiated, Civic Week was a program for high school aged Young Scholars from across different cohorts. We were placed in a US city for a week, where we would live and learn about the people, culture, and service within that community. We had a fixed budget to buy and prepare food for ourselves, common living areas to keep clean, and we had to work together as a group to get through the week.
My Civic Week was in San Francisco’s Tenderloin Neighborhood, and focused on the city’s housing crisis. First we visited a neighborhood with public housing developments, where I learned about the concept of social housing, housing as a human right, and the fabric of that community. There were people who had lived in that community for decades. I remember someone asked the question, “Why would someone choose to stay in public housing?” They responded that this was their home, just as much as anyone else’s home was theirs. Up until that point, I hadn’t given much thought to the complexities of housing, and that experience defined how I saw it going forward.
Next we visited San Francisco’s Chinatown. We talked with a community development organization about the challenges immigrants face in finding housing. We then visited another housing complex, this time a building of single-room occupancy (SROs). I had never heard of SROs before. The units in this building were smaller than any dorm room I have ever seen. I couldn’t imagine putting my entire life into a space barely big enough for a bed, yet the building was filled. Despite the challenges, it was still a vibrant community of people living together. That image still sticks with me.
We had so many cool experiences that week. We visited Street Sheet, a local newspaper that serves, is sold, and is co-written by the homeless and underserved population of San Francisco. They encouraged us to go out and sell the newspapers ourselves. We also visited a local food bank and soup kitchen, and closed the week by speaking with City Hall officials.
This experience means a lot to me because I ended up becoming an urban planner. I always cite my mother as my biggest influence, as she has dedicated her life to serving her community in Detroit. However, this experience lit a fuse in my brain. I was fascinated by the different solutions that people were coming up with to solve the city’s ills. The problems presented to us were so real. I never before had such an intense learning experience.
What is ONE THING YOU DID TO HELP TRANSITION TO YOUR FIRST YEAR OUT OF COLLEGE?
I remember when I got out of college I was fearful of losing my edge. I spent four years grinding to get through school, and my skills were sharp. I could read, write, and think about complex issues better than I ever had before. When I got out of school there was no immediate assignment to work on and no professor to push my learning. However, the best thing that ever happened was coming home.
One day I went to a block party in my neighborhood, and I met someone from Detroit City Council. He hooked me up with an internship with an at-large Council Member. I was going from neighborhood to neighborhood in Detroit, learning all about the tapestry of my city. I was spending a lot of time at Wayne State University in Midtown Detroit, and going to different community meetings, activist rallies, and cultural events.
Because I was able to find that which I cared deeply about, it gave me direction. My mom and I started a neighborhood after school program, and I began teaching the kids the things that I was learning from work. Nothing inspires me more than Detroit. I was blessed to have something that I could put my energy in and be a part of.
What was the last book you read, movie/show you watched, or podcast you listened to that you really enjoyed and highly recommended?
The last book I read cover to cover was “The Brain that Changes Itself” by Norman Doidge, MD. The book talks about neuroplasticity, “the ability of the brain to change its own structure and function through thought and activity.” This book interested me because I want to keep my mind sharp, but it is so much more than a self-help book. It was a collection of stories of people overcoming so many difficulties like closed head injuries, strokes, autism, and one instance of an individual being born with just half a brain. Conventional science talked about brain function as something that cannot be regained, but this book challenges and disproves that assertion. It provided me inspiration and direction for mental fitness and overcoming adversity. It also gave much needed awareness to disability and mental health. I highly recommend the read.
I am currently in the middle of “Decolonizing Wealth” by Edgar Villanueva, Chair of Native Americans in Philanthropy. This book describes itself as “a provocative analysis of the oppressive dynamics at play in philanthropy and finance”. It talks about how the wealth of foundations have been accumulated through capitalism and all its ills. It speaks to the field of philanthropy, which at times can be slow and unresponsive, or worse, inhibiting progress and working against social justice. However, Villaneuva believes that money itself is value-neutral. He writes that we should use “money as medicine” to fight the sickness that is colonization, racism, classism, and injustice.
As an Alum of the Foundation, and now an employee of the Kresge Foundation, I have reaped the benefits of philanthropy. I have felt the medicine of money, changing my life and putting me on a different trajectory. I want to be able to share the blessings and opportunities I have received with others. This book is a great way to understand the opportunities we received and how we can use them to help others.
If you were to create your own cookie, what would it consist of and what name would you give it?
Growing up, my favorite candy bar was a Payday. The tastiest cookie I ever had was a praline from New Orleans. If I could make a cookie, I would add praline to the caramel of a Payday, and make a praline Payday.