Warner Music Group / Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund Issues Grants To Ashé Cultural Arts Center, Overtown Youth Center And The Africa Center

Issues grants

The WARNER MUSIC GROUP / BLAVATNIK FAMILY FOUNDATION SOCIAL JUSTICE FUND (WMG/BFF SJF) continues its support of Black communities Worldwide by providing grants to ASHÉ CULTURAL ARTS CENTER, OVERTOWN YOUTH CENTER, and THE AFRICA CENTER

“Over the past year, we’ve been developing a targeted grantmaking strategy focused on three key pillars – education, criminal justice reform, and arts and culture – in order to optimize our impact and reach,” said  WMG/BFF SJF Board member PAUL HENDERSON. “This next set of grants is all about the intersection of community, culture, and commerce, and we’re very proud to support organizations at the forefront of addressing racial disparities with robust programming tied to the arts and education.”

“We’re committed to making an impact beyond just giving money, by using our creativity, influence, and global reach to support our grantees through meaningful partnerships,” said WMG/BFF SJF Board member TEMI ADENIJI. “Our DEI and philanthropy teams at WMG are actively engaged with our grantee partners. We’re trying to be as thoughtful as possible in our approach, including in how we work with partner organizations and who we select as third-party experts to support our efforts.”

WMG has a mentorship program with HOWARD UNIVERSITY, one of the WMG/BFF SOCIAL JUSTICE FUND’s initial grant recipients. Beginning in Fall 2021, WMG executives will pair with HOWARD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS students. WMG will also partner with the FLORIDA RIGHTS RESTORATION COALITION (FRRC), another of the Fund’s first recipients, who are sponsoring activation booths at local community events to prompt voter registration and pay fines and fees with its FRRC Fines and Fees Program.

WMG/BFF SOCIAL JUSTICE FUND has selected RICHBURG ENTERPRISES – a Black woman-owned financial and tax services firm in the U.S. – for accounting and tax compliance. It is also currently in the final stage of hiring an Executive Director to help lead and hone the Fund’s strategy. This executive will manage the vetting process of potential grantees through the lens of the Fund's three key pillars and make recommendations to the Board.

Grant recipients:

OVERTOWN YOUTH CENTER (OYC) (Education) is a community development agency currently serving more than 1,700 young people and their families, using a holistic, culturally relevant program model comprised of five components: in-school support services, after-school programming, summer camp, college and career services through age 25 and family support services.

THE AFRICA CENTER (Arts and Culture/Education) provides a gateway for engagement with contemporary Africa. It transforms the world’s understanding of Africa, its Diaspora, and the role of people of African descent globally, advancing thought and action around Africa’s global influence and impact on our collective and shared futures.

ASHÉ CULTURAL ARTS CENTER (Arts and Culture) has 5,000 square feet of gallery space; the Center develops innovative programming designed to use culture and the arts to foster human development and civic engagement. It also focuses on creating and preserving opportunities for the curation, exhibition, and commission of folk art and the fine art of the African Diaspora.

For more information about WMG/BFF SOCIAL JUSTICE FUND, https://www.wmg.com/fund.

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