Tennis icon and business-owner Serena Williams has pledged her support for the Opportunity Fund by committing to donate a portion of the proceeds from her Serena Williams Jewelry Unstoppable collection to benefit its Small Business Relief Fund — which directly supports Black small-business owners.
A press release reports that Williams will continue this commitment through the month of February.
“This February, we’re honoring Black History Month by donating a portion of proceeds from every purchase to Opportunity Fund’s Small Business Relief Fund that provides support directly to Black small-business owners,” an Instagram caption reads.
As the nation’s leading nonprofit business lender, the Opportunity Fund has made it its mission to support “diverse, resilient entrepreneurs through these challenging times.” By offering up microloans to Black small business-owners, the Opportunity Fund is able to help build their credit and grow.
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Since 1994, the Fund has deployed more than $1 billion and helped thousands of entrepreneurs invest in their families’ futures, a press release shares.
In addition to showing her support for the Opprtunity Fund, Williams is also using her presence on Instagram to pay homage to Black women who’ve made history in honor of Black History Month.
“Black women whose strength, courage and vision have changed the course of history,” a press release shares. “Mary Mahoney, the first licensed black nurse in the U.S.; Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African American woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for poetry; physician and astronaut Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to fly into space; and Janet Collins, the first Black prima ballerina at the Metropolitan Opera.”
Of her jewelry line, Williams states that “the collection is a beautiful celebration of the strong women in my life and around the world. My designs inspire people to love themselves, believe in themselves, and, of course, treat themselves,” theGrio reports.
To learn more about how to donate to the cause, click here.