In a remarkable move to foster racial equity and societal healing, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) has committed to a $4.7 million investment towards 10 community-based organizations. These organizations, rooted in WKKF’s priority areas of Mississippi and New Orleans, are actively promoting initiatives that strive to eliminate barriers to success for young men and boys of color. This notable investment, ranging from $150,000 to $1 million, will support a wide array of causes that directly impact these young individuals, including school discipline policies, policing, and workforce training. This post explores the ongoing work, the people behind it, and the potential impact on the lives of these young men and boys of color.
Investing In Communities
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) 
a total investment of $4.7 million to 10 community-based organizations in the foundation’s priority places of Mississippi and New Orleans that are working to promote racial equity and healing in order to eliminate barriers to success for young men and boys of color.
Efforts in Mississippi and New Orleans
Two organizations in Mississippi, working in a coalition and broad collaboration with several other partners, and eight in New Orleans will receive investments ranging from $150,000 to $1 million to support their efforts the major issues that uniquely affect these young men and boys, including school push-out, school discipline policies, policing and workforce training.
Nurturing Potential
“Young men and boys of color have enormous potential and deserve equitable opportunities to succeed,” said La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO of the foundation. “We believe that these smart, creative and dedicated young men will be the next generation of leaders for their families, communities, states and the nation.
The Executives’ Alliance (EA) for Men and Boys of Color
Through the shared learning space of the Executives’ Alliance (EA) for Men and Boys of Color — a growing network of more than 40 national, regional and community foundations working together to invest in pathways to opportunity that support young men and boys of color in reaching their full potential in life—we know that by investing in the futures of these young men, we are also investing in our collective future.
When they succeed, we all share in their success. WKKF is proud to be a member of the EA. Efforts like our work in Mississippi and New Orleans will lend itself to the national effort and will have cumulative lasting impact.”
Focusing on Community-Led Solutions
The Kellogg Foundation is committed to community-led solutions that tackle the complex and inequitable barriers faced by young men and boys of color that begin before birth and follow them throughout their lives. The legacy of structural racism has created long-lasting barriers to their success.
Inspiring Youth of Color
“Rethink is working to support youth of color, so that they feel empowered to become leaders in their own communities,” said Karen “KG” Marshall, executive of Kids Rethink New Orleans and WKKF grantee. “Young males of color in particular have rich and unique experiences that are invaluable, and we are committed to helping them use those experiences to become the transformative leaders their community needs them to be.”
Addressing School Discipline Policies and Policing Practices
In Mississippi, WKKF investments build on existing support of young men and boys of color and are focused on strategies to improve school discipline policies, which disproportionately affect students of color, and dismantling policing practices that stereotype and criminalize these young men.
Connecting Youths to Opportunities
The New Orleans investments will help connect opportunity youth i.e., young people between the ages of 16-24 who are out of school and out of work, to workforce training programs and career paths. In turn, WKKF investments will build capacity and foster organizations’ ability to better serve opportunity youth more broadly now and in the future.
Moving Towards a Brighter Future
“We are committed to dismantling barriers and settings that hinder the potential of young men and boys of color in Mississippi,” said Jennifer Riley-Collins, executive of -on-bet” target=”_blank”> Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi and WKKF grantee. “By proactively addressing school discipline policies that disproportionately and harshly impact these young men, we can move forward in paving opportunities that lead to a brighter future for everyone.”
#RacialEquity #CommunityBasedOrganizations #YouthEmpowerment #WorkforceTraining #SchoolReform
