“Fostering Thriving Communities” was the theme of Southern California Edison’s 2024 Black History Month event, where the Black Equity Initiative of the Inland Empire (BEI-IE) was a Community Partnership honoree! Dina Walker, Executive Director of BLU Educational Foundation and Co-Convener of BEI-IE accepted the award on behalf of the Initiative.
Attendees gathered for an enjoyable morning of networking, inspiring guest speakers, and recognition of African American businesses and community organizations in Southern California. IECF Board Chair Nefertiti Long and former SCE employee and current IECF board member Joseph Williams were also in attendance. Listen in to an interview with co-conveners Pastor Sam Casey and Dina Walker as they talk about the impact of SCE’s support and the work being accomplished by BEI-IE.
We’re grateful to SCE and so many other donors for their contributions to the IE Black Equity Fund, which supports Black-led and Black-serving organizations and their programs to advance diversity and racial equity across the region. As Dr. Bob Ross, president and CEO of the California Endowment, said, “Diversity assures that a broader array of talents, perspectives, and cultures becomes engaged in building the wellness of entire communities.” The California Endowment, along with IECF, was the first foundation to seed the IE Black Equity Fund.
Learn more about the social, political, and economic issues affecting the IE’s Black population through Mapping Black California, a data-driven initiative of the Black Voice Foundation and Black Voice News. Get to know some of the organizations supported through the Fund by visiting the IE Black Equity Fund Giving Guide! Their programs are helping to close persistent equity gaps in education, health, employment, and housing for the region’s Black community.
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