Philanthropy as defined by Wikipedia:
"Philanthropy etymologically means "love of humanity" in the sense of caring, nourishing, developing and enhancing "what it is to be human" on both the benefactors' (by identifying and exercising their values in giving and volunteering) and beneficiaries' (by benefiting) parts. The most conventional modern definition is "private initiatives, for public good, focusing on quality of life". This combines the social scientific aspect developed in the 20th century with the original humanistic tradition, and serves to contrast philanthropy with business (private initiatives for private good, focusing on material prosperity) and government (public initiatives for public good, focusing on law and order).[1]
Instances of philanthropy commonly overlap with instances of charity, though not all charity is philanthropy, or vice versa. The difference commonly cited is that charity relieves the pains of social problems, whereas philanthropy attempts to solve those problems at their root causes (the difference between giving a hungry man a fish, and teaching him how to fish for himself). A person who practices philanthropy is called a philanthropist."
Greensboro's Elites may feel good about themselves now but the rest of us know what they did wasn't philanthropy and will not be seen in the course of history as anything more than building monuments to themselves at a time when Greensboro remains the hub of the second hungriest metropolitan statistical area in the nation, has a poverty rate of over 21% and has the highest unemployment of any comparable city in North Carolina. Building a performing arts center did nothing to address these problems.
True philanthropist everywhere will look at Greensboro and shake their heads in sorrow.
Please, share this post with everyone you know so that people around the world will understand that while Greensboro, North Carolina's poor are facing the worst economic times in almost a century the poor and middle class are being put on the hook to pay for a $65 Million Dollar downtown performing arts center that the citizens don't want and were never given the chance to vote upon so that a handful of rich developers can build their dream utopia at taxpayers expense.
