THE NATIONAL BLACK CULTURAL INFORMATION TRUST, INC. AWARDED MACARTHUR FUNDS SUPPORTING AN EQUITABLE RECOVERY
The grant will support NBCI Trust’s work to advance Racial Justice Field Support
WASHINGTON, DC July 30, 2021 — The National Black Cultural Information Trust Inc., a sponsored project under the oversight of Fractured Atlas, was awarded a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for its work to correct cultural disinformation, advance reparatory justice, and share cultural information, stories, and resources that uplift the collective freedom of Black communities.
The grant is part of roughly $80 million in awards MacArthur announced today in support of the foundation’s Equitable Recovery initiative, centered on advancing racial and ethnic justice. The initiative is funded by MacArthur’s social bonds, issued in response to the crises of the pandemic and racial inequity.
“The National Black Cultural Information Trust was created out of necessity, at a time when cultural disinformation campaigns targeted black communities. These campaigns sought to suppress Black voters and disrupt Black collective activism by spreading false information about Black cultural issues surrounding reparations, cross-cultural conflict, and the historical impact of people of African descent across the Diaspora. Cultural disinformation was also used to advance xenophobic rhetoric and anti-Blackness,” said Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor, founder of the National Black Cultural Information Trust. “We challenged and corrected these disinformation campaigns by facilitating community dialogue with trusted activists, community members, as well as local and national organizations. Now, we face the issue of disinformation targeting Black communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are proud to receive support from the MacArthur Foundation to help us continue this work and expand our capacity. We thank the MacArthur Foundation for recognizing this pivotal moment and taking action through the Equitable Recovery Initiative.”
“As we emerge from this moment of crisis, we have an opportunity to improve the critical systems that people and places need to thrive. Our systems and structures must be rebuilt,” said MacArthur President John Palfrey. “We are committed to ensuring that our response to the pandemic is focused on supporting the reimagining of systems that create a more just, equitable, and resilient world.”
The National Black Cultural Information Trust (NBCI Trust) is a Pan-African initiative that uses communications, media, and cultural storytelling to share information and resources that correct and challenge cultural misinformation and disinformation surrounding racial/ethnic identity, anti-Blackness, and other false narratives that harm our communities. Our work aims to uplift the collective survival and freedom of Black communities through informative resources. Our work is centered on embracing collective cultural memories from the Black community and Pan African World as tools for education and solutions.
The National Black Cultural Information Trust, Inc. is one of 37 organizations receiving grants advancing the Racial Justice Field Support, with a Focus on Combating Anti-Blackness; focus area of the Foundation’s initiative. Racial Justice Field Support, with a focus on combating anti-Blackness, supports building Black power by supporting Black-led and -focused philanthropic organizations. MacArthur also will take a leadership role in positioning reparations and racial healing as issues that philanthropy helps to meaningfully address.
To advance racial and ethnic justice, MacArthur is supporting work in that focus, as well as three other areas:
- Self-determination of Indigenous Peoples supports uplifting Indigenous communities to enable autonomous pursuit of a recovery guided by their priorities, cultures, and practices.
- Public Health Equity and COVID-19 Mitigation and Recovery supports improving access to resources for immediate health challenges while advancing new policies, models, and structures to support a more equitable and resilient public health sector in the future.
- An Equitable Housing Demonstration Project supports restoring communities and reducing incarceration and housing instability by generating an array of housing solutions that can help to permanently end the use of jails and prisons as housing of last resort.
MacArthur identified the areas through a participatory process with a diverse group of external advisors, who informed its strategic approach. The participatory process aimed to center the voices of communities that are affected by the Foundation’s decisions and have a stake in the grantmaking outcomes.
This is the first time NBCI Trust has received a grant from MacArthur. Almost two-thirds of the awards represent new grantee relationships, and most of the organizations are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led or -serving. The grants also reflect MacArthur’s global reach: 45 percent of the new funding supports work outside of the U.S., including 12 percent in India, and 14 percent in Nigeria, where MacArthur has offices.
Equitable Recovery Initiative
In the fall of 2020, MacArthur established a $125 million Equitable Recovery Initiative. The Foundation deployed $40 million of bond proceeds through 24 grants. Initial grants focused on strengthening voter mobilization and election protection, addressing anti-Black racism, and supporting Native Americans impacted by COVID-19. Grants also supported Black, Latinx, Asian, and Indigenous arts organizations in Chicago, technology and justice, and a fund for social entrepreneurs advancing racial equity.
View all Equitable Recovery grantees.
MacArthur media contact: Kristen Mack, kmack@macfound.org
National Black Cultural Information Trust, Inc. Media contact: Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor info@nbcit.org and (202) 830-2535.