The UPLift with Tzedek: Real Talk for Real Change
Welcome to The UPlift - Real Talk for Real Change! We're here to build authentic community relationships and help fuel social transformation in Asheville, NC, believing collective liberation is not only possible but probable as we share, listen, and learn together.
The Tzedek Social Justice Fund is a social justice philanthropy fund that redistributes money, resources, and power to support systems change and community healing in Asheville, North Carolina. Through adaptive, trust-based philanthropy, we resist oppressive systems and work to transform our collective home into a place where everyone flourishes. We fund mission-aligned work centering LGBTQ Justice, Racial Justice, and/or Dismantling Antisemitism; this means we give money to organizations and individuals invested in creating a more fair, equitable, and flourishing society.
We dream of a thriving Asheville where everyone's needs are abundantly met - where everyone is safe, respected, and celebrated. We believe that a community rooted in joy and love is possible - that is, if we can connect and build our shared vision on the value that liberation is for all.
Sound good to you? We hope so!
Let's be real. Let's go deep. Let's get liberated.
The UPLift with Tzedek: Real Talk for Real Change
Just Paula: Building Power Without Permission
What happens when everyday people stop waiting for permission and start organizing for liberation?
This month, Paula Swepson Avery, Tzedek's 2025 Ella Baker Brilliance Award recipient, shares her journey into community organizing. It didn't begin with a plan or a grant, but with a plate of food, a room full of neighbors, and a question that changed everything: What is your vision for your community?
That simple ask sparked a new way of thinking about power, one grounded in listening, trust, and shared responsibility rather than titles or credentials.
About Paula:
Paula Swepson Avery spent over 28 years as a CNC programmer and machine room manager before discovering her calling as a grassroots community leader in Marion, NC. When layoffs brought her manufacturing career to an end, Paula turned toward mutual aid, gathering neighbors, building relationships, and co-creating a new vision of people-powered possibilities. She is the Founder and Executive Director of West Marion, Inc., the first and only Black-led nonprofit in McDowell County.
From starting a community garden to reclaiming a historic Black school building to imagining a future resilience hub, West Marion's work shows what's possible when dignity is treated as a non-negotiable. A visionary and equity-driven leader, Paula has grown the organization from $10,000 in seed funding in 2016 to a $1.2 million annual operating budget in 2024.
Her strategy secret? "Chase the work, not the money." It's a reminder that movements built on hot meals, deep listening, and a shared sense of belonging are often the most powerful.
Paula is the recipient of the 2025 Ella Baker Brilliance Award, which honors a Black community leader in Asheville who has empowered and organized others to address systemic oppression.
🎧 Hit play to be inspired by the energy that comes from working with—not just for—community.
Visit westmarion.org to support West Marion Inc.'s transformative work, including its ambitious $15 million legacy project.
We'll see you same time, same place next month. Until then, peace.
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