Clark Atlanta University's Executive Leadership Institute Set to Receive $1 Million Gift in Support of Initiative Aimed to Produce and Develop the Next Generation of HBCU Leaders

ATLANTA, May 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Today, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announced its first round of Racial Equity Grants with Clark Atlanta University's Executive Leadership Institute being one of the organizations included in the grant dissemination to receive $1 Million.

The effort supports organizations leading the way to advance racial equity, diversity and inclusion. The grant recipients are led by, or work in support of, communities of color and focus on cultivating leaders, tackling outcome disparities, shaping policies, and advancing institutional change. These grants are part of a five-year, $500 million investment CZI announced in December 2020.

"The Executive Leadership Institute at Clark Atlanta University is at the forefront of addressing issues of diversity and inclusion. Gifts like this help to sustain the future of HBCUs which depend on the quality and training of those who will lead them," said President George T. French Jr., Ph.D. "The grant will support the Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) at Clark Atlanta University (CAU), which in turn develops strong executive leaders who serve as change agents ultimately preparing African-American students to leave their respective HBCUs educated, and equipped to be globally competitive and change the world." 

"I want to commend Dr. Priscilla Chan and Ms. Belinda Stubblefield of CZI for their work to provide equitable opportunities for Historically Black Colleges and Universities," said Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins, former President of Bennett College and Project Director of the HBCU ELI at CAU. "The funds will be used to implement the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute at Clark Atlanta University, which is uniquely designed to provide competencies, skills, and dispositions that aspiring Presidents and executive level administrators need to be successful." The deadline for applying to be among the Inaugural Community of Fellows is Saturday, May 15, 2021 (https://www.cau.edu/hbcueli).  Some scholarship dollars are now available.

While CZI has made key investments since its founding five years ago, the organization has embarked on an enterprise-wide effort to more consistently and systematically apply a racial equity lens to their grantmaking.

"Embedding a racial equity lens across CZI's philanthropic areas of focus will help us drive the impact and results that we are all working to achieve," said Belinda Stubblefield, CZI's Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. "As part of this critical work, we are engaging changemakers, community members, and movement builders with deep expertise and lived experience as partners, helping to shape our strategies and actions. We are dedicated to this work for the long term."

By the end of this year, CZI will award $30 million in grants to organizations working to advance racial equity, diversity and inclusion. The initial grantees are:

• The Anti-Racism and Intersectional Justice Fund
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC
• Borealis Philanthropy
• Echoing Green
• Futuro Media Group
• Grantmakers for Girls of Color
• HBCU Executive Leadership Institute housed at Clark Atlanta University
• Othering & Belonging Institute
• Pew Research Center's new national study - Giving Voice to a Changing America: Chronicling the Immigration and Integration Experiences of Asian-Americans
• Seventh Generation Fund

For more information about CZI's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, visit here.

About Clark Atlanta University
Established in 1988 by the historic consolidation of Atlanta University (1865) and Clark College (1869).  Clark Atlanta University continues a 150-year legacy rooted in African-American tradition and focused on the future.  Through global innovation, transformative educational experiences, and high-value engagement. 

CAU cultivates lifted lives that transforms the world.  Notable alumni include: James Weldon Johnson; American civil rights activist, poet, and songwriter (Lift Every Voice and Sing "The Black National Anthem"; Ralph David Abernathy Sr., American civil rights activist; Congressman Hank Johnson, Georgia District 4; Kenya Barris, American award-winning television and movie producer; Kenny Leon, Tony Award-winning Broadway Director; Jacque Reid, Emmy Award-winning Television Personality and Journalist; Brandon Thompson, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for NASCAR; Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the Recording Academy. To learn more about Clark Atlanta University, visit www.cau.edu.

About the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was founded in 2015 to help solve some of society's toughest challenges — from eradicating disease and improving education, to addressing the needs of our local communities. Our mission is to build a more inclusive, just, and healthy future for everyone. For more information, please visit www.chanzuckerberg.com

SOURCE Clark Atlanta University

Related Links

www.cau.edu