Kaiser Permanente donates to fight racism

Kaiser Permanente announced Friday it has awarded $8.15 million to support 40 nonprofit and community-based organizations across the nation, whose programs address systemic racism and its accompanying trauma on individuals and communities of color.

This includes $1 million for 10 organizations in Southern California, and is part of a $25 million commitment Kaiser Permanente announced in June to promote health equity and break the cycle of racism-driven stresses that lead to poor health outcomes for its communities. Kaiser Permanente serves 4.7 million members in Southern California, including in the Antelope Valley.

The groups receiving grant funding in Southern California are: Community Health Councils, Inc., Los Angeles; InnerCity Struggle, Los Angeles; African American Leadership Organization, San Fernando Valley; BLU Educational Foundation, San Bernardino; California State University Dominquez Hills, Carson; Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement, San Bernardino; Latino Center for Prevention & Action in Health and Welfare dba Latino Health Access, Santa Ana; Social Justice Learning Institute, Inglewood; Partnership for the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy, Ventura; and Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, San Diego.

This announcement comes as the nation honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy today, for his commitment to civil rights and racial equality.

“As we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I hope Kaiser Permanente is one of many voices plainly saying that there is much, much work still to be done to realize Dr. King’s ideal of an equitable society that guarantees every individual the opportunity to thrive,” said Greg A. Adams, Kaiser Permanente’s chairman and CEO. “I am encouraged as I see what progress is possible through organization, activism and advocacy — and I want our support to enable future generations to follow that path to create change.”

With input from a panel of national racial justice and trauma experts, Kaiser Permanente will develop a formal evaluation plan for the grants it has awarded to track and measure the initiative’s overall progress.