Dr. Mark Lomax, II is an award-winning composer, acclaimed recording artist, renowned jazz drummer, and educator. He is a highly sought-after lecturer specializing in the socio-political and spiritual aspects of African-American art, music, race, and using the arts to build community. In addition to teaching and performing, Dr. Lomax has spent the last eight years working with various nonprofits as a grants manager at an Ohio-based community foundation, where he has co-led nationally focused Community Foundation Opportunity Network teams, led local equity work and has been at the forefront of efforts to close opportunity gaps for transition-aged youth. He is the author of the forthcoming book, “Toward a Politics of Humanity,” slated for release in 2024.
In today's rapidly evolving world, the challenges faced by communities across the globe have become increasingly complex. As we strive to create a more equitable society, we must recognize the pivotal role that Community Foundations can play in addressing these challenges and designing practical solutions alongside community members. By engaging with local stakeholders, Community Foundations can facilitate the development of innovative strategies that drive systemic change and promote social justice.
At their core, Community Foundations are public charities that strive to improve the quality of life within specific geographical areas. These organizations accumulate and manage various financial resources, including individual donors, corporations, and governmental bodies. As grant-makers, Community Foundations are uniquely positioned to identify local needs and direct resources strategically toward impactful initiatives.
To build a more equitable society, the actions of Community Foundations must be informed by the people they serve. By involving community members in designing solutions that address their specific needs, foundations can better understand what works and doesn't within different contexts. This inclusive approach fosters a more profound connection between the foundation and its constituents, creating environments where locals feel heard and understood.
Community-led solutions have proven more relevant, responsive, and sustainable than those imposed by external entities or authorities. When heightened levels of ownership are coupled with an intimate knowledge of local dynamics, there is an increased likelihood that initiatives will take root, adapt effectively to new circumstances, and ultimately deliver meaningful outcomes to communities over time.
One example of a Community Foundation-driven process comes from Flint, Michigan. The Community Foundation of Greater Flint (CFGF) has been instrumental in addressing clean water issues impacting thousands of residents due to lead contamination. Through effective grantmaking and partnerships with local organizations, CFGF has helped secure vital resources for families affected by this public health crisis while allowing space for developing long-term solutions informed by citizen voices.
To further promote the active engagement of community members in crafting equitable solutions, foundations can leverage various tools and methodologies. For instance, asset-based community development (ABCD) highlights the strengths and resources available within communities instead of focusing solely on their problems. By emphasizing the power of local assets, Community Foundations can catalyze capacity-building efforts that empower individuals to work collectively towards shared goals.
Collaboration among diverse stakeholders is also critical in inducing systemic change. Community Foundations can serve as conveners and facilitators, bridging divides between government agencies, nonprofits, educational institutions, businesses, and residents. By fostering relationships characterized by shared learning and continuous dialogue, these entities can effectively tackle the root causes underlying social issues rather than just treating their symptoms.
To enable meaningful change, Community Foundations must also be adaptive learners. This requires rigorous evaluation and data analysis to refine grantmaking activities continually. When grounded in evidence-based practice, philanthropic organizations can optimize resources and amplify the likelihood of success for their grantee partners.
Additionally, Community Foundations should emphasize transparency and accountability in all aspects of their work. By sharing data openly with community members, stakeholders are better positioned to hold these organizations accountable while offering feedback that drives improvement.
Community Foundations are indispensable in building a more equitable society through grantmaking and leadership activities. By prioritizing the co-design of solutions with community members, engaging diverse stakeholders in collaborative efforts, leveraging local assets, and fostering adaptive learning practices, these organizations can contribute significantly to driving systemic change worldwide. Community foundations' involvement becomes necessary and imperative as we strive to create a more just and inclusive future for all.
A golden tray sits on the Resolute Desk as President Donald Trump speaks during an announcement on American nuclear innovation in the Oval Office at the White House on July 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Trump is signing multiple executive orders targeting the nuclear energy sector and easing rules for new reactors and nuclear fuel supply chains.
Trump’s hubris rivals the fallen heroes of ancient Greek mythology
In January, the New York Times asked President Donald Trump if there were any limits on his global powers.
“Yeah,” the president responded, “there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”
That was eight months ago, but fortunately Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster adaptation of “The Odyssey” has made ancient Greek literature newly relevant. Before that window closes, I’d like to talk about hubris.
Today, the term mostly means excessive pride or arrogance. That’s part of what the Greeks meant by it too, but the meaning was a bit richer and more specific. Hubris was an insolent or outrageous act that offended the gods, often because the transgressor was claiming abilities or authorities that solely belonged to supreme beings.
Nolan renamed and slightly modified the concept of xenia for the film, calling it “Zeus’ law.” In the director’s telling, mortals should follow the rules laid out by the gods, specifically the requirement to treat strangers with respect lest they be gods in disguise.
In a sense, hubris is the opposite, or at least the rejection, of xenia. The hubris of the suitors, and at times Odysseus himself, invites punishment by the gods and their mortal instruments.
Which brings me back to Donald Trump. His claim that there are no constraints on his personal power to dictate events on the global stage was one of the greatest expressions of hubris ever uttered by a political leader.
Trump’s claim was obviously false when he made it.
He vowed that he could end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours. He’s proved powerless to make that happen. If he had divine powers to work his will, why would he have balked at implementing his tariffs so often that Wall Street adopted the “TACO trade” term for his deals? “TACO” stands for “Trump always chickens out.”
And why would Trump have made so many embarrassing concessions to China — from rescinding tariffs on Chinese goods to allowing them to buy crucial and incredibly valuable computer chips?
But Trump saw his success at capturing Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro as proof of his ability to launch missiles to the same effect as Zeus’ lightning bolts. Trump believed he was the most powerful man who ever lived.
This is no exaggeration. In March, when the Iran invasion seemed successful, Trump gave a document penned by“Presidential Historian David King” to New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan purporting to prove that Trump was “the most powerful person to have EVER walked this planet.” King was, in fact, a businessman and occasional caddy for legendary golfer Gary Player.
King compared Trump favorably to many of history’s most powerful, and often heinous, figures: Alexander the Great, Attila the Hun, William the Conqueror, Napoleon Bonaparte, Joseph Stalin, Genghis Khan, Mao Tse Tung, Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin. Many of these men thought they were the most powerful person in the world, too. And many were defeated precisely because they believed it.
At least Napoleon and Hitler had a string of truly impressive victories before they learned the folly of hubris. The limits on Trump’s power have been exposed by far less august forces than the combined might of the allies in World War II or the fearsome Russian winter.
Iran is a comparatively middling power. But the regime’s ability to absorb punishment while imposing its will on the Strait of Hormuz has proved to be a greater constraint on Trump’s power than his morality or mind. We should note that, at least rhetorically, his morality has not proved much of a constraint. He has repeatedly promised to destroy Iranian “civilization” if the regime refuses to capitulate.
But they haven’t — and won’t anytime soon — because the regime’s tolerance for pain far outstrips Trump’s. The combined fear of skyrocketing oil prices, outrage of Gulf state potentates, diminishing weapon supplies and domestic unpopularity is doing the work that international law, congressional oversight and the collective opinion of foreign policy experts can’t or won’t do.
If I considered Trump more heroic than reason and facts could allow, I would say his Sisyphean predicament has the whiff of Greek tragedy to it. Trump is vexed by the fact that the Iranians won’t honor deals or ratify his countless premature claims of victory — giving new meaning to his vow that his presidency would make people tired of winning. It’s almost like they’re out-Trumping Trump.
Things might have gone better if he’d heeded that great Greek tragedian Sophocles: “For Zeus utterly abhors the boasts of a proud tongue.”
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Jonah Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch and the host of The Remnant podcast. His Twitter handle is @JonahDispatch.