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Community Foundation receives $200,000 grant for racial healing from W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The Kalamazoo Community Foundation will receive a $200,000 grant for racial healing as part of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's new five-year, $75 million America Healing racial equity initiative.
The Community Foundation plans to use the grant dollars received from the Kellogg Foundation to engage three groups in efforts to learn about and assess how existing systems discriminate against people of color, and then use that knowledge to implement projects and policies that reduce institutional racism. The three groups include youths, youth-serving and other nonprofit organizations, and the Community Foundation itself.
"Structural racism perpetuates the inequalities that threaten the well being of our community," says Juan R. Olivarez, Ph.D., president/CEO, Kalamazoo Community Foundation. "We are especially concerned about vulnerable youths—particularly those of color and from poor families."
"The Community Foundation's goal is to educate ourselves, youths, those who work with youths, and the general community about structural racism, and then work together to eliminate it," he says.
Children of color are over-represented among the 29 million low-income children and families in this country, particularly among families living in concentrated poverty. According to data from the National Center for Children in Poverty, about 61 percent of African American, 62 percent of Latino, 57 percent of Native American, 58 percent of children with immigrant parents, 30 percent of Asian American children and 26 percent of white children are part of low-income families.
The Kellogg Foundation initiative, America Healing, is an unprecedented effort to address the devastating impact of racial inequities on communities across the country. The goal of America Healing is to engage communities and support them in the work of racial healing, and address the effects of historic and contemporary structural issues, such as residential segregation and concentrated poverty. Its aim is to improve life outcomes for vulnerable children and their families by promoting racial healing and eliminating barriers to opportunities.
During the first phase of America Healing, 119 organizations—including the Kalamazoo Community Foundation—will receive grants totaling $14.6 million specifically to support healing efforts among racial and ethnic groups that address historic burdens, disparities and barriers to opportunity. Their efforts will focus within local communities to increase opportunities for children in education, health and economic areas. Grantees represent 29 states and the District of Columbia, and all racial and ethnic population groups.
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Second Quarter 2010 Investment Performance
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