Today, on the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Boeing announced $10.6 million in grant funding to address racial equity and social justice in the United States. The grants aim to help minority and underserved students seeking STEM education and aerospace careers, programs that work to address criminal justice reform and health care gaps in underserved and minority communities. A few examples of which include: UNCF: A $1 million investment will support the development of a high school STEM engagement program in collaboration with the organization’s historically Black colleges and universities in locations where Boeing has a significant local presence. Equal Justice Initiative: A $1 million investment will fund public education and policy research efforts that address criminal justice reform in the United States. The Mission Continues: A $1 million investment will support Operation Nourish, a program aimed at combating food insecurity by mobilizing veterans to grow, collect and distribute food in underserved communities and communities of color. In Missouri, that includes a $110,000 investment for the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis’ Save Our Sons Program aimed at helping economically disadvantaged African American men living in the St. Louis region find jobs and have the opportunity to earn livable wages. We will provide updates on other current and future local grant partnerships in our regional newsletter. In the meantime, here’s a quote from our CEO highlighting our commitment: “At Boeing, we acknowledge the toll that systemic racism and social injustice have had on people of color, particularly Black and African-American communities here in the United States,” said David Calhoun, Boeing president and CEO. “As we work internally to address gaps in equity, we also remain focused on addressing the causes and impacts of racism and social inequality in the communities where our employees live and work. With today’s financial commitment to this group of nonprofit partners, we are hopeful that together, we can begin to make real advances in our ongoing pursuit of equality.” The funding package is part of a previously announced multi-year commitment that includes a mix of local and national-level grants aimed at increasing the number of minority and underserved students pursuing science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, education and diversifying the aerospace talent pipeline.
