How can we honor Priya Haji, a social entrepreneur, a mother, a friend, an inspiration to us all? She had such heart.
Priya believed that everyone, from ex-Presidents to ex-cons, were worthy of respect. When, in a group of entrepreneurs, someone had behaved badly, everyone backed away. But Priya said, yes, that wasn’t good, but here’s how he can be helped. When she met people, she saw they weren’t the worst thing thing they had done. She saw them bigger than they were, bigger than they even saw themselves. She treated everyone this way.
Van Jones, at her memorial yesterday, said that when everyone on the Stanford campus was marching around, waving banners and saying that Racism was Bad, Priya was down the road in East Palo Alto starting Free at Last. She believed everyone, without exception, could do better. From Free at Last, through World of Good, and to SaveUp, she was always working to make the world, and everyone in it, better, kinder, more compassionate. As good, and as kind, and as compassionate as she herself was.
Beloved Priya, Goodbye.
Caterina.net 