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Racial Equity
As part of Black History Month, TIME honored 25 Black leaders working to close racial equity gaps in its 2025 Closers list, which includes changemakers, advocates and innovators dedicated to ending inequality and enhancing the well-being of all children, families and communities. Notably, through a partnership with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, this year TIME introduced a “Healers” category, recognizing individuals whose leadership to promote racial healing fosters unity across differences.
Michigan
With the support of WKKF and the Kresge Foundation, IFF is playing a crucial role in improving child care access and quality in Detroit through its support of local providers. By offering grants for facility upgrades, funding scholarships for families in need and training staff on best practices, IFF helps create safe, enriching environments for children, making it the leading organization for Hope Starts Here’s work toward creating safe and inspiring early learning and care environments. Their work extends beyond individual centers, with projects like the McClellan Early Childhood Center and partnerships with organizations like Detroit-based grantee Congress of Communities. This ensures long-term investment in early childhood education and neighborhood revitalization.
Grand Rapids-based grantee Vibrant Futures is leveraging $750,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to support child care entrepreneurs in West Michigan. By creating an SBA-backed women’s business center, the organization will provide mentoring, training, business consulting and financial support to help expand existing child care centers and form new centers. This initiative aims to address the region’s critical child care shortage, recognizing child care as essential economic infrastructure that directly impacts workforce participation and business growth.
New Mexico
WKKF grantee New Mexico In Depth, a nonprofit news outlet that produces investigative and explanatory journalism in service to New Mexico’s communities, announced the launch of “Indigenously Positive,” a new series about Native joy and empowerment. “From racist narratives, to leaving us out entirely, there are a lot of problems with the way that most of the news media has reported on Native Americans and our communities,” says series creator Bella Davis (Yurok), New Mexico In Depth Indigenous affairs reporter. “There isn’t nearly enough focus in our line of work on Indigenous joy, resilience, and achievements. This series is all about telling those stories.” The first episode in the series, “Why don’t we talk about Native joy?” is now available for streaming. The series is a partnership between New Mexico In Depth and New Mexico PBS.
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