Black Arts and Culture

Hampton Roads Community Foundation Celebrates Black Philanthropy Month

Hampton Roads Community Foundation’s Black Philanthropy Month event spotlighted local artists, culture, and philanthropy with Cocoa Brown and BK Fulton.

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NJG Newswire
HAMPTON ROADS

The Hampton Roads Community Foundation (HRCF) hosted its 8th Annual Black Philanthropy Month Celebration on Thursday, August 7 at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach.

The event, free and open to the public, featured a lively panel discussion with guests Newport News-native actress and comedian Cocoa Brown and businessman and philanthropist BK Fulton. It was moderated by comedian Quincy Carr.

“These two groups – Black philanthropists and artists of all kinds – are a crucial part of what makes Hampton Roads such a rich and culturally diverse place to live,” said Vivian Oden, the Foundation’s vice president for equity and inclusion. “The Foundation is proud to connect charitably minded people to non-profits around our region that share their passion for the arts.”

The event also featured an arts expo which included local artists quilter Dr. Janice Sims Johnson and painter Clayton Singleton with works for sale. Other artists gifted in textiles, sculpture, painting, photography, and poetry were on hand.

Participating arts organizations included Aspire Art Gallery, Teens With a Purpose, Tidewater African Cultural Alliance, TRS Kids, and the Virginia African-American Cultural Center.

Black Philanthropy Month started in 2011 as a global celebration to amplify Black voices and the long tradition of giving in the Black community. Two- thirds of African-American households give to charitable causes. The Foundation’s 2021 Giving Black Hampton Roads report showed that 98 percent of Black donors gave in 2020.

The HRCF celebration furthers the Foundation’s commitment to and work toward racial equity.

In the last five years, the Foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $20 million to more than 100 arts organizations in Hampton Roads.

About the Hampton Roads Community Foundation:

With roots dating back to 1950, the Hampton Roads Community Foundation is a permanent charitable endowment with more than $500 million in assets. It has awarded more than $391 million in grants and scholarships since its founding.

For more information about the Hampton Roads Community Foundation and its initiatives, visit hamptonroadscf.org. Follow the Foundation on social media: Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn.