We are not only committed to learning about and highlighting the challenges to Black leaders in community with philanthropic peers and social justice leaders, but we are equally interested in co-creating solutions to offer and scale up. One of those solutions is our Stargazer Sabbatical Pilot program that invites deserving leaders to take time to rest in 2025.

The Open Horizon Stargazer Sabbatical Pilot program is informed by these evolving inquiries: How much rest are Black women and gender expansive leaders able to experience? How could centering rest, and co-creating a daydream of a personal rest plan support Black leaders in fulfilling their divine purpose and living longer and more fulfilling lives?…in thriving? Everyone deserves the gift of rest, especially Black leaders, who are often expected to deliver world-changing, life-changing results with fewer resources and greater burdens.

The main objective of this pilot sabbatical is rest. We believe that rest is resistance, rest is freedom and rest can help lead to our collective liberation. The program is named in honor of Malinda M. Jacobs (1949-2022), the mother of Open Horizon’s Executive Director, D’Lynn Jacobs. Malinda deserved access to balance and renewal; she worked remarkably hard to ensure she and her children’s basic needs were met, while navigating a system that was not built for them.

After announcing the pilot in the spring of 2024 and rolling out the application process in the fall, Open Horizon received 5 eligible applications. The internal review team used a selection rubric that outlined guidelines pulled from the program description. However, it was challenging to assess candidate needs solely from the application, as the Open Horizon leadership team has close relationships with our partners – sometimes too close to be completely unbiased! The second round of reviewers included Malinda’s namesake and favorite niece, and her eldest daughter; these reviewers offered reflections that focused on the qualities that they hoped the sabbatical honors in Malinda’s experience and pulled out details from responses that reminded them of her faithful and value-driven life. Ultimately, both applicants selected are Black mamas committed to nourishing their communities and their children in the same selfless ways that Malinda M. Jacobs did.

The remaining three applicants, who were not selected, offered vulnerable stories in the application process that reflected a real need for rest and renewal. Though we only intended to support two leaders through this sabbatical offer, Open Horizon elected to offer the three other applicants a $5,000 stipend to support their wellness goals outlined in their applications. Open Horizon realized that these partners may not have the same benefit of the time off that the Stargazers will experience in their 2 months unplugging from work duties, but we hope the wellness stipend will allow them to invest in exploring parts of themselves that will expand their self-awareness and ultimately increase their access to pleasure, choice and freedom. A trend we noticed in all the applications was a desire for creativity (art and/or writing) and movement.

Open Horizon built this sabbatical pilot in community with guidance from research from social justice peers, sample policies from partners, and extensive feedback from cousins and friends across the sector. We will continue to share updates about our successes, challenges and emerging questions as we affirm learning and sharing in community. Q: What more curiosities do you have about our Stargazer Sabbatical pilot program? What suggestions do you have for the pilot?

One of the programs that Malinda guided and supported D’Lynn through was one to access better education through the Steppingstone Foundation. D’Lynn is a class of ‘97 scholar and attributes much of her academic success to the organization. Today is the annual day of giving and we invite you to join us in contributing to advance opportunities to the scholars; Open Horizon has contributed $5,000 as an employee contribution on behalf of the Executive Director:  $10, $25, $50—every gift, no matter the size, helps sustain and expand opportunities for future Scholars. If you can, please consider making a donation to Steppingstone’s Day of Giving—your support truly makes a difference.