Hillsborough Community College is one of 19 colleges and universities — and the only Florida institution — to receive grant awards totaling $625,000 from the Lumina Foundation’s Fund for Racial Justice and Equity.
The fund, a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, was created after last year’s racially motivated violence at the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville.
“As a philanthropic leader, Lumina shares a deep passion and concern about the nation’s racial climate, especially on college campuses,” said Jamie Merisotis, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation, in a statement. “These campuses have shown a willingness and capacity to address racial disparities at a systemic level.”
Lumina, in partnership with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, evaluated 312 grant applications. Each of the 19 institutions chosen by Lumina and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors was awarded one-time grants ranging from $25,000 to $50,000
According to HCC’s project description, the college will “broaden existing racial justice programming by initiating a streaming web platform to engage remote students and by increasing campus-wide programming through its Diversity Council.”
HCC educates more than 44,000 students each year, and its 160 academic programs are supported by more than 2,000 faculty and staff members.
Visit Lumina’s website to view full list of grant recipients.