Ride-sharing company Lyft has announced a new initiative in partnership with Black organizations to close the transportation gaps that exist in Black and communities of color.

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Millions of people lack access to affordable, reliable transportation. Join us in helping close opportunity gaps. #lyftup (Link in bio)

A post shared by Lyft (@lyft) on Aug 11, 2020 at 6:36am PDT

According to a blog post published on Lyft’s website, the company has pledged to form alliances with leading impact-driven organizations The National Urban League and My Brother’s Keeper Alliance — an Obama Foundation initiative — to push upward mobility in under-sourced communities.

Founding Members of the LyftUp Access Alliance include:

- - My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, an Obama Foundation initiative
  - The National Urban League
  - Black Women’s Roundtable
  - Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
  - The National Action Network
  - NAACP Legal Defense Fund
  - United Negro College Fund
  - National Bail Fund Network
  - NAACP
  - US Black Chamber of Commerce
  - National Black Chamber of Commerce

“At this moment in history, it is more important than ever to remove barriers that stand in the way of people’s ability to access essential needs and opportunities; and as a result, make a meaningful difference for people in need,” Lyft stated via its blog.

The newly-formed alliance will grant people access to more than 1.5 million rides so they’re able to reach the necessary resources to combat the pandemic.

“The current health crisis has disproportionately impacted communities of color,” said Anthony Foxx, Lyft chief policy officer and former Obama transportation secretary, according to Black Enterprise. “It’s also given us a clear look at the systemic barriers that stand in the way of social and economic empowerment for Black communities specifically.”

As part of their commitment, Lyft has revealed that all LyftUp Community Grants for the remainder of the year will go toward organizations that are explicitly supporting communities of color.

“While Lyft’s social impact work has always aimed to provide access in underserved communities, the need for a focus on Black communities cannot be overstated,” he said.

For more information on this initiative, click here.

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