Equity, opportunity and hope

New research is now available on the experiences of Black Americans in the U.S. private sector. Produced by McKinsey & Company, in collaboration with Walmart, PolicyLink and WKKF, the report summarizes the concentration of the Black labor force by geography, industry and occupation and the organizational challenges that limit advancement for people of color. Most important, it shares the voices and perspectives of Black workers, offering wisdom and guidance for transforming corporate workplace cultures and ways of doing business.

Michigan is leading the way in oral health, as dental therapy programs in the state will soon be a reality. Michigan dental therapists will work in areas of greatest need, where communities don’t have access to care. Dental therapists – like those who began in Alaska – are creating jobs in the communities they serve, reaching underserved populations, providing cost-effective care and increasing access through innovation. 

With support from the Baobá Fund for Racial Equity, a new Brazilian podcast on Black women in the workforce is up and running. It is called Jogo de Cintura (an expression referring to agility, especially in navigating difficult situations) and covers themes such as diversity and inclusion, equal rights and opportunities and the challenges of pursing a new career. The Baobá Fund was created in 2011 with an endowment match-funded by WKKF.

A Cosmopolitan magazine article about Black-owned home brands featured WKKF grantee Caribbean Craft, which employs and promotes artisans in Haiti. The company exports their vibrant papier mâché 
works to individuals and stores in the U.S., including Wolf & Badger.

With the most recent $1.9 trillion stimulus, Black, Latinx and Indigenous farmers will receive nearly $5 billion in relief. This comes after decades of systemic racism, biased government policy and business practices that have denied farmers of color access to capital. Black farmers alone have lost more than 12 million acres of farmland over the past century. The debt relief, training and education supported by the infusion of funding bolsters long-standing WKKF grantee work to expand opportunities for farmers of color.