Advances in equity, education and well-being

Leadership

We’re thrilled to celebrate the incredible achievements of WKKF partners and grantees recognized in this year’s TIME 100 Next list! Aisha Nyandoro of Springboard to Opportunities, Anna Wolfe of Pulitzer Prize-winning Mississippi Today and Michelle Morse, formerly with Partners in Health, have been named among the most influential leaders of 2024. Their impactful work — from advancing direct cash assistance programs and exposing systemic inequities to reimagining health care access — continues to inspire structural change in communities.  

Mississippi

WKKF proudly recognizes the pivotal role of our grantee JULIAN in prompting the U.S. Department of Justice’s investigation into the abusive practices of the Lexington, Mississippi, Police Department. Led by founder Jill Collen Jefferson, JULIAN’s advocacy was instrumental in driving this crucial step toward accountability. For over two years, JULIAN, alongside allies like the ACLU of Mississippi, has courageously fought for justice in Lexington.  

Michigan

The Detroit People’s Food Co-op, which opened in May 2023, exemplifies a decade-long effort to promote racial equity through community ownership, food sovereignty and community economic development in majority-Black Detroit. Spearheaded by WKKF grantee Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network, the co-op provides healthy food access and jobs while combating systemic barriers like land acquisition and racial bias in financing. Its success serves as a model for other Black communities across the country striving for food justice and self-determination.

Health

WKKF grantee Trust for America’s Health has released a new report titled Pathway to a Healthier America: A Blueprint for Strengthening Public Health for the Next Administration and Congress. Released last week, the report outlines public health policy recommendations aimed at safeguarding the nation’s health security, promoting wellness and, above all, saving lives. Key recommendations include addressing structural discrimination, enhancing access to social programs like Medicaid and SNAP and making universal healthy school meals permanent. The report also recommends ensuring universal access to paid family and sick leave, expanding access to the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit and addressing mis- and disinformation to rebuild trust in government.

Haiti

The latest novel of award-winning Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat, “We’re Alone,” starts with her memories of the opening of a library in Fond-des-Blancs, Haiti – a library built and run by WKKF grantee Haiti Projects. An excerpt of that story is featured in an article about Danticat in The Minnesota Star Tribune. In another piece about the author in Elle, Danticat is asked to identify a literary organization or charity she supports. Her reply: “Haiti Projects’ Community Library builds community around reading, computer, health, and financial literacy classes in rural Haiti.” Danticat narrated a powerful video about the library soon after its opening. The Kellogg Foundation supports Haiti Projects’ efforts to advance economic opportunity and education through its artisan cooperative and community library.

Racial Equity

Across the country, local journalists are uncovering unique racial healing efforts that are addressing deep-seated inequities: county residents in rural Tennessee reckoning with historic racial trauma to chart a path forward, Black farmers in southwest Georgia reclaiming their land and cultivating shared prosperity, youth in Baltimore providing vital bike repair services to address transportation gaps and beyond. Each story sheds light on how neighbors are finding common ground to heal from racism. Explore Agents of Change, a five-part storytelling project led by journalists from Report for America, an initiative of the Ground Truth Project. This WKKF partner is showcasing models of success that can inspire other communities.