A Philanthropic Story
Sincerity is living out our most core beliefs. It is putting into practice those values and ideals that we say we cherish most. And, given the lofty ideas we usually hold about our own selves, it is often easier in theory than it is in reality. Unless you carve a different path.
“Some people make a lof of noise about what’s wrong with the world, and they are usually blamin’ somebody else. I think people who don’t like the way things are need to look at themselves first. They need to get right with God and change their own ways…If everybody did that, we’d be all right.”
Oseola McCarty found purpose in her work as a washerwoman and lived her life based on her most cherished ideals – faith in God, hard work and the importance of family and community. Born in 1908 in rural Mississippi, McCarty was raised in Hattiesburg by her grandmother and aunt, who cleaned houses, cooked, and took in laundry. As a child, she would come home from elementary school and iron clothes, stashing her earnings in a doll buggy. According to the University of Southern Mississippi Foundation, “her childhood dream was to become a nurse, but she left school in the sixth grade to care for her ill aunt and never made it back to the classroom.” As money began to pile up in her doll buggy, McCarty went to the bank and deposited it. When asked about it later, she said, “{she} Didn’t know how to do it. Went there by myself. Didn’t tell my mama and them I was goin’. I commenced to save money. I would never take any of it out. I just put it in.”
Before the establishment of the first grantmaking foundation in the South by Southerners (the Feild of Co-Operative Association, in 1912) and the first community foundation the Southeast (The Winston-Salem Foudnation, in 1919); before the establishment of The Duke Endowment (1924) and the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation (1937), a young Black girl in Mississippi was carefully setting aside a portion of her meager earnings and laying the foundation for her own philanthropic gift.
For 75 years, McCarty took in laundry and ironing work. Using a Maid Rite scrub board, water drawn from a nearby fire hydrant, and 100 feet of open-air clothesline, McCarty would fall into the rhythm of work she considered a blessing. “I would go outside and start a fire under my wash pot. Then I would soak, wash, and boil a bundle of clothes. Then I would rub ’em, wrench ’em, rub ’em again, starch ’em, and hang ’em on the line. After I had all the clean clothes on the line, I would start on the next batch.” She finally retired in 1995, and only because her hands were too painfully swollen with arthritis for her to continue the labor-intensive work. She had $280,000 in the bank.
With the assistance of a local attorney, for whom she had done laundry, McCarty arranged for the distribution of her estate. She set aside a portion for herself, her family, and her church; the largest portion – $150,000 – was designated for the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). “She stipulated that the funds should be used for students, preferably those of African American descent, who could not otherwise attend due to financial hardship.” Her gift quickly became national news – business, political, and community leaders across the country followed her initiative with monetary contributions that matched her gift. The United Nations honored her with the Avicenna Medal for educational commitment and President Bill Clinton awarded her the President Citizen’s Medal, the nation’s second highest civilian award.
McCarty died in 1999 – she is immortalized on the campus of USM in a statue that bears her gentle likeness. In the thirty years since she made her gift, approximately 133 students have benefited from scholarships. The scholarship fund, with a $1 million corpus, now provides $2,000 scholarships to 20 Oseola McCarty Scholars annually. The scholarship provides recipients with financial support, and scholars receive personal development through mentorship, career planning, financial literacy, and community engagement. Stace Mercier, Executive Director of the USM Foundation, said, “It is a testament to the power of collective giving. Ms. McCarty’s story continues to inspire alumni, donors, and friends of the University to make a difference – whether through small contributions or major gifts. Her belief that every dollar counts created a ripple effect that will continue for generations.”
If we are sincere, we lean into and live out our most core beliefs and values. We won’t all amass small fortunes, but we can share and spread the best of what we have to others. A smile or a kind word. A meal delivered to a neighbor in a moment of need. Rent parties to make sure no one in the building gets evicted. Passing the plate in church to help a young community member buy school supplies. Iftar meal deliveries to homebound elders. Giving circles that ensure neighborhood kids have access to safe places to play. Foundations have become the “face” of philanthropy, but the reality is that philanthropy is all around us. It starts with individuals and spreads to the communities we care about. At a moment when foundations are having to reckon with how they fund work, there will be plenty of space for small donors and community led efforts to fill in the gaps. Long live the efforts of the humble and the sincere.
MDC’s Equity Centered Leadership and Philanthropy (ECLP)focus area promotes practices, principles, and experiences that infuse equity across a spectrum of individuals, leaders, and sectors to reach their strongest impact for systemically marginalized communities in the U.S. South. When leaders and organizations are equipped with the tools necessary to challenge systemic inequities, there will be greater community prosperity, and the South can become a place where all people thrive. Learn more about the ECLP team and view our 2025 State of the South report, which helps guide our efforts for a more equitable future.
Reading
“Simple Wisdom for Rich Living” by Oseola McCarty
“Viral Justice: How we Grow the World we Want” by Ruha Benjamin
