Black History Month: Celebrating Our Global Impact Through Social Entrepreneurship
The observance of Black History Month in the United States presents a special time for all to celebrate the generous contributions of African-Americans shaping U.S. history. It was in 1926 that Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a prominent scholar with a bachelor’s and masters’ in history from the University of Chicago and doctorate from Harvard University, founded Negro History Week, a principal measure in recognizing the need for black history to be engraved in American institutions to advance human progress. Woodson’s pioneering efforts gave birth to a progressive global movement in honoring black achievement, with the United States being the first to federalize the remembrance in 1976, the United Kingdom following suit in 1987, Canada in 1995, and recently the Republic of Ireland in 2014. As we reflect on the advances and struggles memorialized in black history, we also carry with us the responsibility to empower our black youth to take their rightful place in society as global leaders, activists and social entrepreneurs.
The Resolution Project recognizes the significant contributions of our Fellows currently working to dismantle systems of inequality and oppression worldwide. In honor of Black History Month, we’d like to include a sampling of social ventures making an impact within the black community and greater society.
1. Yulkendy Valdez
Yulkendy Valdez (Class 7) founded Forefront (formerly Project 99) as a premier training provider for the future of work, helping leading employers become more innovative, competitive, and profitable as workplace demographics in the U.S. continue to shift rapidly.
2. Rassidatou Konate
Rassidatou Konate (Class 8) founded the Iwili Project in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso to equip high school students and recent graduates with entrepreneurial skills, mentorship, internships, and funding to start businesses.
Iwili seeks to address the deficit of resources, jobs, and skills for high school students and recent graduates by offering a holistic program of entrepreneurial, leadership, and professional skills development that prepares students for the job market and further educational study.
3. Apefa Adjivon
Apefa Adjivon (Class 9) founded The Pearl Project, a center that runs after-school programming for girls in a low-income community in Toronto’s Regent Park area.
Using a space provided by the local government, the Pearl Project provides girls with access to mentors and career counselors, with the goal of inspiring and empowering girls and helping them to reach their goals.
4. Prince M Abudu and Taku Machirori
Prince M Abudu and Taku Machirori (Class 6) founded Emergination Africa to connect high school students in Zimbabwe to college students and professionals of the Zimbabwean diaspora (starting in the USA) through weekly one-on-one video call sessions, panel discussions, and project-based learning activities.
They support, foster, and encourage students to pursue higher education, while helping them navigate the challenges associated with the college application process.
5. De’Andre Washington
De’Andre Washington (Class 10) founded Project-Generation, an organization that provides young people with the resources and skills to find a job. The organization offers resume building, portfolio building, interview readiness, entry level job training and internships and employment resources.
“We are not fighting for integration, nor are we fighting for separation. We are fighting for recognition as human beings…In fact, we are actually fighting for rights that are even greater than civil rights, and that is human rights.” — Malcolm X
Lauren Loftin is a Program Coordinator at The Resolution Project, a global nonprofit dedicated to empowering the next generation of socially responsible young leaders through social entrepreneurship.
