‘Remember, there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.’ – Scott Adams.
By ROB KNOX
TMCF Senior Director of Strategic Communications
World Kindness Day is one of the best days on the calendar.
It’s an opportunity to highlight Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s daily work of sowing seeds and creating opportunities that continually enhance the world. Each day, TMCF’s selfless staff wakes up with a passion, knowing that the impactful work is making a significant contribution to the world, supporting HBCU students, and uplifting generations of families.
For TMCF, World Kindness Day means having an opportunity to impact others, leave a legacy, and pay it forward with generosity. It’s where TMCF’s passion intersects with its purpose to provide pathways to excellence. World Kindness Day commends acts of kindness and the positive effect that generosity has on people, communities, and the world overall.
The theme for this year is “Be Kind Wherever Possible.”
TMCF has had influential success as an organization by removing barriers to opportunities for HBCU students and helping Fortune 500 companies discover talent that helps them enhance their equity and inclusion strategies.
TMCF creates pathways to economic mobility through degree attainment and placing students in opportunities to enjoy lucrative careers. TMCF offers resources to position Black students for success now and in the future, as evidenced by awarding more than $500 million in scholarships and leadership development to HBCU students. TMCF is the only national organization providing this level financial and professional support to students attending publicly-supported HBCUs.
Realizing that education is a bridge to creating prosperity in America, TMCF enjoys providing a platform for HBCU students to showcase their skills, talent, and value to prospective employers, empowering ambition and advancing equity.
“The power of education has shaped my life,” said UDC senior Brent Thigpen during TMCF’s “Leaders and Legends” Gala in September. “TMCF has been a guiding light of experiences I once thought were beyond my reach, which has surely fueled me to excel. Through TMCF, I secured an internship with Boeing—an opportunity that opened my eyes to a world of possibilities. This past summer, I interned with Kiewit Construction, further broadening my horizons. Through my sophomore to senior years, TMCF has granted me scholarships totaling over $25,000; my final year in college has been debt-free! A testament to the impact of unwavering support.”
TMCF has continued the legacy of Justice Thurgood Marshall for over three decades to provide direct resources to HBCUs, nurture and advance Black talent in the workforce, and create a more equitable society that will provide economic mobility for Black students and their communities. He used the power of the courts to fight racism and discrimination, tear down Jim Crow segregation, change the status quo, and make life better for the most vulnerable in the United States, and that’s what TMCF does as an organization.
TMCF has prepared over 260,000 students for career success through its programming. It develops leadership skills and forges lasting connections to corporate America, helping students on their career paths and providing companies access to a talented and diverse student population.
“TMCF helps me with my future goals by exposing me to the world,” Fayetteville State senior Iyanna Beacham said. “Coming from a background where I am the first in my family to achieve certain milestones, TMCF has provided me a safe space to connect with mentors, innovative students, and individuals who have been/currently are in the space I want to be in. Having my dreams and ideas confirmed by individuals who understand my background is an experience like no other. TMCF has given me the confidence to believe in myself as a young professional.”
While TMCF does the work of changing the world one student at a time every day, it’s always nice to take a moment to acknowledge TMCF’s societal impact in advancing equity and making the planet a better place on World Kindness Day.
