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My first year as board chair for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation has been inspiring in countless ways. Together with our board, I’ve had the privilege of advancing Mr. Kellogg’s legacy by strengthening the organization he left in our charge. A singular mission has guided every governance decision we’ve made: to achieve Mr. Kellogg’s vision of a world where every child can thrive.
That vision was born — and the seeds of our organization planted—nearly a century ago in the wake of tragedy. After an accident that left his grandson with lifelong physical disabilities, Mr. Kellogg was unable, despite his wealth and connections, to find local, suitable care for the child. From that moment forward, our founder dedicated his fortune to building a more equitable world for all children everywhere.
While equity has been at the heart of the Kellogg Foundation’s mission from the beginning, in 2007 the organization’s leaders took the monumental step of explicitly committing the foundation to confront racial inequity as an element of our strategy to ensure every child can thrive. Today, the foundation’s deeply rooted commitment to racial equity and healing grounds every aspect of our work.
This commitment transcends societal moments and trends. Indeed, in this time of widening inequity and deepening division, our work to promote racial healing in all communities is essential. Our board represents different backgrounds and interests, and we all agree: We are in it for the long haul.
The foundation and our grantees have accomplished countless wins on behalf of children, families and communities in the past year. As a physician who has dedicated my career to improving health equity for underserved communities, I’m especially proud of the investments we’re making in organizations fighting maternal-child health disparities here in Michigan and beyond.
In April 2024, we celebrated a major milestone in Michigan as Bronson Battle Creek Hospital and Kalamazoo’s Bronson Methodist Hospital earned “Baby-Friendly Hospital” designations for their successful efforts to improve patient birth outcomes and breastfeeding experiences.
In Grand Rapids, Michigan, a community where I also practice, we put our support behind Day One Doula Collective, an initiative that has recruited, trained and supported more than 50 people of color as community-based doulas since 2018.
Beyond our home state, we were proud to see the continued growth of the Alaska Native Birthworkers Community, which provides culturally competent care through an ever-expanding network of Indigenous doulas, healers, midwives and breastfeeding counselors.
These three organizations represent the kind of progress all our grantees, from maternal-child health to community economic development, are making toward ensuring every child has a path to success.
Of course, our long-term commitment to supporting children facing systemic barriers extends beyond our country’s borders. This past March, the board and I traveled to Mexico to experience the impact of our grantees’ work firsthand.
In the beautiful Yucatán capital of Mérida, we toured Gran Museo del Mundo Maya to better understand how colonialism impacted Maya people. This initial grounding in racial healing and racial equity informed our discussions with grantees like U Péekbal Waye’ (The Movement Here) and Rising Voices, two organizations working to revitalize the Mayan language. This vital effort protects Indigenous identity, empowers communities and educates the next generation of Mayan speakers.
We also met with several of our education partners including AtentaMente and Vía Educación. Both organizations support the foundation’s efforts to dismantle inequities by improving early childhood development in Mexico. At the Nicté-Ha preschool in rural Yaxcabá, we witnessed how grantees are helping local Indigenous children thrive.
We also shared many meals with our grantees and their communities. Together with artisans, agrodiversity advocates and leadership from Fundación Haciendas del Mundo Maya, an organization working to build wealth within Maya communities, we tasted the locally-sourced fruits of Indigenous labor. This reminded us that food is one of the best ways to experience local traditions and connect across differences.
All told, the countless learning circles, panel discussions and community dialogues we participated in reinforced the power of Indigenous communities and our belief in the intergenerational approach of our Maya partners. I am thankful to our Mexico team for leading such a phenomenal visit, supporting the long-term success of the region’s children and carrying forward our founder’s mission.
I couldn’t be prouder of how the Kellogg Foundation and our global network of grantees and fellows have worked together over the past year to support healthy, thriving children and families. The progress is a credit to the tremendous leadership of our President and CEO La June Montgomery Tabron, the hard work of the foundation’s domestic and international staff and the steady governance of our outstanding board of trustees.
As we continue adapting to a changing world, we remain firmly rooted in the mission and values of our visionary founder. Mr. Kellogg believed that philanthropy is at its best when it helps communities pursue their own solutions to the problems they face. I would add that we are at our most effective when institutions that share a common purpose work together to amplify our impact.
To my peers at foundations who share our commitment to equity and realizing a world where every child can thrive, my message to you is this: Let’s work together. If we have learned anything from our history, it is the power of solidarity to carry communities forward. Together, I know we can and will build the more equitable world all our children deserve.