September 27, 2012
Get Into This: Organization Invests Millions Into Building Black Male Leaders
The Open Society Foundations Campaign for Black Male Achievement (CBMA) will invest $2 million to launch the Leadership & Sustainability Institute for Black Male Achievement (LSI), a national membership network that seeks to advocate and ensure the life and career advancement for black men and boys. CBMA will work in partnership with Root Cause and PolicyLink to launch the institute Oct. 3.
“Black men and boys are challenged by entrenched and systemic problems in need of innovative solutions,” Shawn Dove, manager of the Campaign for Black Male Achievement at the Open Society Foundations, said in a statement. “Leaders working in the field of black male achievement have always grappled with a lack of funding, capacity, and momentum. With the strong network of leaders created and sustained by the LSI, we can now create the support system necessary to sustain effective programs and policies that will do much to improve the lives of black men and boys across the United States.”
The launch will kick off with the network’s first “Innovation & Impact Forum,” hosted by the Campaign for Black Male Achievement. It will showcase major initiatives and innovations in the black male achievement field, highlight practical research and tools, provide networking opportunities, and identify proven strategies that are working. Audiences can view a view a live stream of the event which will feature music and insights from speakers including New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, sports business titan Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and Susan L. Taylor, former Essence powerhouse and founder of National CARES Mentoring Movement.
Other organizations part of funding the institute include The Skillman Foundation, The California Endowment, Knight Foundation, and The Heinz Endowments, with an investment of more than $1 million.