Here we are in Denver at the Democratic National Convention, where there is so much going on it’s impossible to experience even a very small fraction of it!
Being here makes us even prouder of the Foundation’s staff and the work of its grantees. It’s clear that we have not only identified cutting edge issues to focus on - the green economy, educational access, and civic engagement – but we also have chosen the right lens through which to do all of our grantmaking, i.e., the impact of policy initiatives on low income people of color.
We know that many of our grantees are either in attendance or have influenced the conversations which are taking place here. For instance, we were delighted to have the opportunity to hear Maria Teresa Petersen, co-founder of Voto Latino, on a panel about racial, gender and age bias in the media’s coverage of the election. The panel and its accompanying research were also funded in part by the Foundation.
Speaker after speaker here at the convention has hit hard the need and opportunity to create up to five million new jobs as America weans itself from oil dependence and develops renewable sources of energy. Our Green Access program, with its focus on making sure that low income communities and communities of color benefit from this shift rather than be hurt by it, could not be more timely or more strategic.
Finally, we hope that this historic first of an African-American Presidential candidate will provide a perfect example as our BBCBI grantees inspire young black men and boys to think big!
Mitch & Freada
