Organizations across the country and throughout the state are making new financial and leadership commitments to address systemic racism.

The Consumers Energy Foundation recently announced $100,000 in grants to seven organizations across Michigan in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and other efforts that are also focused on social justice and racial equality.

"We at Consumers Energy, value diversity, equity, and inclusion,” the foundation shared in a video posted on social media. “We are passionate about building and nurturing an environment where everyone feels included. We don’t discriminate. We strongly believe Black Lives Matter."

The foundation's grantees include:

• The Michigan Roundtable for Diversity & Inclusion. This organization serves as a human relations organization whose purpose is to overcome discrimination and racism.

• The Michigan Diversity Council: The council serves as a resource for diversity best practices and leadership development in Michigan. 

• The Turning Point of Lansing: The organization shares that it is focused on “transforming boys to men by providing an Afrocentric group mentoring experience.”

• The Grand Rapids Urban League: The organization is focused on delivering services and creating systemic changes that eliminates racism.

• The M.A.D.E. (Money, Attitude, Direction, Education) Institute in Flint: The institute provides comprehensive violence prevention, solution-driven research and workforce development for at-risk youth and returning citizens.

• The Bridge Center in Saginaw: The center is focused on the achievement of tolerance, understanding and acceptance of racial differences in the Great Lakes Bay region.

• ERACCE (Eliminating Racism & Creating/Celebrating Equality) in Kalamazoo. The organization is focused on eliminating structural racism and creating a network of equitable anti-racist institutions and communities. 

“We hope these grants will have a real impact and continue to advance this critical conversation in the communities we serve and care for deeply,” Rejji Hayes, executive vice president and CFO said in a press release. “We want to do our part as Michiganders work together to confront these difficult questions, examine deeply rooted issues and create solutions that move us toward a brighter future.”

The Grand Rapids Community Foundation (GRCF) has outlined its work moving forward, pledging to continue and enhance their work to address issues of systemic racism, including access to education, health care and more.

“While the community foundation works every day to actively eliminate racial disparities that have been evident for centuries, we own that there is so much more that we need to do,” Diana Sieger, president of GRCF said in an open letter. “We are committed to leveling up our action. We are committed to leveraging our resources, networks and influence at a higher level to stamp out the inequities that have existed for much too long.”

The community foundation has committed to continuing work on its internal culture, strengthening existing relationships with Black nonprofit leaders and building new relationships, funding and advocating for equitable education and addressing issues that disproportionately affect communities of color, such as environmental injustice and housing insecurity.

On Friday, the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area (CFHZ) announced grants to local organizations and initiatives that are focused on racial equity, implicit bias and supporting community members of color.

Last week General Motors (GM) CEO Mary Barra announced the creation of a 12-member board to guide the company’s efforts to improve diversity and inclusion.

"We have a lot of work to do as a board and as a company, but this is an encouraging start,” Barra said.

Tonya Allen, president and CEO of The Skillman Foundation, and GM president Mark Reuss, a trustee of The Skillman Foundation, were both named to the inclusion advisory board.

"The Skillman Foundation’s mission is to expand and improve opportunities for Detroit’s children and youth; and the way we hope to achieve this is to eliminate structural racism and bias, and by advancing inclusion and equity in the systems that serve them," Allen told The Detroit Free Press. "We believe if Detroit can model this it will be an example to the world—how a city can recover and do it equitably so that all citizens, especially children and youth have an opportunity to thrive and lead us to a brighter future.”

While organizations are working through their action plans and approaches, many foundations have affirmed in emails, on social media and in conversations that the issue is one that should be addressed with careful thought, consideration and collaboration.

The McGregor Fund released a statement via email last week sharing how it’s approaching the work moving forward.

“For our part, the McGregor Fund is committed to solutions that encompass the perspectives, racial reality and wisdom of the people we serve,” the statement reads. “We are redoubling our efforts to listen, learn, and invest in the leadership within our community. We will proceed in our work with humility while examining and addressing our own deficiencies. We acknowledge the power and privilege that are conferred upon private foundations such as the McGregor Fund and commit to use them in service of racial justice.”

Want more?

Read the Consumer Energy Foundation’s press release.

Read GRCF president Diana Sieger’s open letter.

Read The Detroit Free Press’s story on GM’s inclusion advisory board.