Zuckerberg part of $100M ‘California Black Freedom Fund’

More than two dozen philanthropic organizations and corporations on Thursday launched the California Black Freedom Fund, a $100 million, five-year initiative that they say will provide resources to Black-led organizations in the state that are seeking to eradicate systemic racism. The fund says it plans to support Black-led organizations that are “focused on stopping police violence, promoting education equity, improving health outcomes, championing voter registration and civic engagement and crafting policies around increasing access to housing.” The head of the Oakland-based Akonadi Foundation, which is part of the effort, said she hopes the fund can continue well beyond five years, with a focus on supporting “Black leaders who are visionary and courageous.” “The idea is not simply a reaction to the George Floyd killing,” Lateefah Simon, the foundation’s president, told The Associated Press. “These foundations have always had an explicit mission and focus of advancing equity.” Although racial equity funds have been introduced in cities like Boston, the California fund’s focus on “Black-led organizations is unique,” said Una O. Osili, a professor at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. “We really wanted to make sure we were honoring Black freedom fighters by making sure we were making the right grants at the right time.” ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Lilly Endowment for coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits.