Meaningful change in racial equity takes partnership

In June, I announced that AbbVie was committing $55 million to support efforts to bring lasting and real change and to fully embrace equity, equality, diversity and inclusion and loudly reject racism and all forms of bias at both the individual and community level. Of that commitment, $5 million immediately went to the Equal Justice Initiative and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. We’re proud to be partners in the important work that these two organizations are leading. 

We took time to listen and meet with different community groups and leaders before deciding how to invest the remaining $50 million. Our goal was to partner with nonprofits on a long-term, multi-faceted program to help secure quality education, jobs, health care and justice.

Today, we shared the details of this long-term program and our nonprofit partners. You can read more about this investment and AbbVie’s historical support for diverse communities on our website. 

As we thought about our approach, we knew we wanted to focus on two areas: 1) promoting health equity and 2) creating educational and workforce development opportunities. 

Promoting health equity 

We turned to the experts with deep community roots and track records of success to help address health disparities in underserved Black communities.

Direct Relief is launching a new fund to promote health equity that will improve health care services across the nation at federally qualified health centers with significant underserved Black populations. AbbVie is proud to be a founding partner.

We’re also supporting an innovative program run by the UChicago Medicine Urban Health Initiative, which enables holistic and comprehensive health care for residents on Chicago’s South Side. AbbVie is headquartered north of Chicago and has partnered with the University of Chicago on many public health projects over the years. We’re pleased to be working with both Direct Relief and University of Chicago once more, as both are long-standing AbbVie philanthropic partners.

Creating educational and workforce development opportunities

Creating opportunities for more Black Americans to leave a legacy requires making new investments today. There are some terrific organizations dedicated to helping expand educational and career opportunities for underrepresented populations. We’re excited to support programs at the local and national level, starting with middle school and up through graduate school. 

In Chicago, we’re funding scholarships for students based on financial need and academic potential and an academic intervention program at Providence St. Mel. This predominately Black, independent high school has a 100 percent college acceptance rate since 1978, and 74 percent of its students graduate from college in four years (the national average is 51 percent).

We’re also working with the National Urban League’s Project Ready, which prepares Black youth (ages 11-18) and other historically underserved youth for college and their career by providing access to stable caring adults and an evidence-based curriculum. 

Year Up provides intensive training and internships for young adults aged 18-26, the majority of whom are people of color, to move from minimum wage jobs to professional careers. Year Up has shown to have true impact: their latest graduates are making an average starting salary of $22/hour ($42,000/year), and a federal study showed that Year Up alumni earn an average of 53% more than their peers.

There has been much written about the lack of Black health care providers and the impact that has on Black Americans’ access and utilization of health care. That’s why we’re pleased to be supporting the United Negro College Fund’s Healthcare Diversity Workforce Program, where we are a founding partner. This important effort provides scholarships and services to help increase the number of Black health care professionals and reduce racial disparities in health care. 

I believe that America’s corporate leaders have an obligation to take significant action to help address the racial inequity issues plaguing our nation. We can lead by example both within and outside of our companies. We must not only fully embrace equity, equality, diversity and inclusion but also loudly reject racism and all forms of bias. And we should use our strengths to make a positive impact on the diverse communities where we work and live.