WASHINGTON, DC (JUNE 2021) – With the social awakening that has taken place over the last few years, major companies are coming to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) to take the necessary steps to increase their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
When Dr. Harry L. Williams, TMCF President & CEO, joined the Thurgood Marshall College Fund in 2018, he evolved the organization’s mission to focus on future work force development. Since then, TMCF has worked hard to build a framework to accelerate change in the national social system and partner with leaders to intentionally diversify the future work force – committing to the movement to the point that Fortune 100 companies were willing to invest time, money, and resources with TMCF to create comprehensive DEI strategies.
Focusing on solutions was top of mind when Williams and Sundar Pichai, Google CEO, called a convening of HBCU presidents in January 2021. That quick action led to Williams co-chairing the president’s council and facilitating conversations between Google’s Chief Diversity Officer, Melonie Parker, and the HBCU presidents. Those conversations influenced the formation of Google’s $50 million commitment to underrepresented groups in STEM, which was announced on June 17, 2021.
TMCF has worked with a number of blue-chip companies like Visa, who made a multi-year commitment to TMCF to address the racial wealth gap through a scholarship and jobs program. The Boeing Company worked with TMCF to design a technical workforce development program. As a result of the partnership, Boeing has increased its hiring of HBCU talent by over 400%.
TMCF recently partnered with Medtronic to create career pathways in the MedTech Industry for HBCU students studying engineering, biomedical sciences, and business.
As the common goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion become even more widespread, companies have the daunting task of figuring out what works. TMCF has consistently proven to be a national leader in this area, pushing companies to think outside the box and serve as engines of change.
About the Thurgood Marshall College Fund
Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include the publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs, and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education space. The organization is also the source of top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs.
TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: www.tmcf.org.
Media Contact:
Thurgood Marshall College Fund
tmcfpress@tmcf.org
