Last month, NIKE, Inc. announced a $40 million commitment to support Black initiatives in the fight against racial injustice over the next four years in a formal statement. Today, they continue their dedication by donating a $1 million grant to Black Girls CODE.
Excited to announce that as part of @Nike's $40M, four-year commitment to fight systemic injustice, the brand has donated $1M to support @BlackGirlsCode! It's an honor to be recognized alongside @NAACP @NAACP_LDF two organizations driving impactful change. https://t.co/HsOuNKYtat pic.twitter.com/BlidQOa0iT
— Black Girls CODE (@BlackGirlsCODE) July 29, 2020
Black Girls CODE — an organization dedicated to changing the narrative surrounding racial and gender diversity in STEM by educating and empowering girls and young women of color — is now considered an official partner of NIKE as they both work together to create long-lasting change for the Black community.
“Our goal is to train 1 million girls by 2040, but that’s the first step in increasing the number of women of color in STEM fields,” said Kimberly Bryant — Founder and Executive Director of Black Girls CODE — in a statement. “We want to expand Black Girls CODE into a life-long support network to help retention rates in tech. Support from NIKE, Inc. helps us increase the number of students we can reach through online training and build a network to continue engaging with our alumnae.”
Black Girls CODE was originally founded in 2011 and has since provided “computer science workshops, after-school programs, and classes to girls in underprivileged communities around the world,” according to AngelList Blog.
The organization has partnered with Google and ThoughtWorks, which both greatly contributed to its growth from a small company in a basement to having a full-blown office in the Google building.
Black Girls CODE is also recognized alongside the NAACP and LDF as partners for the initiative.
For more information on NIKE’s new partnerships, click here.