100 Year Old Betty Reid Soskin is America’s Oldest Park Ranger
“Betty Reid Soskin” by National Park Service Since its founding in 1916, the National Parks Service has helped conserve the natural and cultural resources of the United States by preserving local history, celebrating local heritage and creating educational outdoor opportunities for tourists across the country. Their official charitable organization, The National Park Foundation, enriches national parks and […]
Four Steps Recruiters Should Take When Hiring Diverse Talent
With the increased focus on gender and racial equity over the last year, many corporations have made renewed commitments to building diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. Research shows that more diverse workplaces perform better in several key areas: diverse teams produce 19% more revenue, diverse teams make better business decisions and diverse […]
Robert F. Smith Introduces Calvin Mackie’s STEM Global Action Project
This is Robert F. Smith. I’d like to introduce you to Calvin Mackie’s STEM Global Action project. The work is close to my heart as a former chemical engineer and advocate for STEM education and career opportunities. Former Tulane professor Calvin Mackie started STEM Nola in Louisiana in 2014 because he wanted to share what […]
Honoring the Higher Education Act and the Continued Struggle for Accessible Education
“Higher education is no longer a luxury, but a necessity,” President Lyndon B. Johnson said as he signed the Higher Education Act into law on November 8, 1965. The Higher Education Act was part of Johnson’s Great Society program — a multitude of laws and federal programs dedicated to eradicating poverty in the United States. […]
Eagle Academies for Young Men Receive Stock Donation from Robert F. Smith
On October 25, 2021, the Eagle Academy Foundation announced a unique donation by Robert F. Smith of nearly 15,000 shares of stock from Vista Equity Partners’ portfolio companies to each of the nearly 2,900 students, teachers and staff members of the six schools that make up the Eagle Academies for Young Men. This stock donation […]
Robert F. Smith and Bank of America Make Investments in Trident to Accelerate Business Growth
In 2017, Trident, a private equity firm that utilizes proprietary technology when investing in small businesses, was founded by Eric Taylor, a former portfolio manager. Taylor saw that other institutional capital markets generally left small businesses in underserved areas, particularly in Black and Brown communities, overlooked. Seeing these small businesses as opportunities rather than as […]
Why We Must Invest in Education for Diverse Populations
We’re seeing a demographic transformation across the country. For example, new U.S. Census data shows that dozens of counties are now less than 50% white, even though actual population size in these communities did not decrease. In these communities, no one racial or ethnic group makes up a majority. In fact, estimates show that a […]
The Importance of Reflecting America’s Diversity in Our Museums
History allows us to take an honest look at our society and see more clearly the work that remains toward a more just and equal future. However, not all hindsight is 20/20. A recent study conducted by CBS News found that Black history is taught differently in every state in the country. The study pointed […]
Supporting Organizations Working to Preserve Black History
Exterior of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Fuzheado, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons On July 15, the National Trust for Historic Preservation pledged more than $3 million in grants to 40 sites and organizations through its African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (the Action Fund). Over the past four years, […]