Story at a glance
- Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter celebrated her 39th birthday on Sept. 4.
- She announced a $1 million donation through her organization BeyGood to an impact fund for Black-owned small businesses.
- In partnership with the NAACP, the organization is preparing to give out a second round of funding to applicants.
One year from 40, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is giving the gifts this year: a donation of $1 million for black-owned small businesses.
Beyoncé adds $1M to help Black-owned small businesses. https://t.co/cXwNUDwJJ0 pic.twitter.com/edQwCMBNYd
— BeyGOOD (@BeyGood) September 2, 2020
The announcement came from BeyGood, the artist’s impact fund for Black-owned small businesses in partnership with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). One round of applicants have received funding from the organization, which is currently raising additional funds for a second round starting this month. Beyonce has already donated $6 million to mental health charities and other initiatives for continued outreach efforts during the coronavirus pandemic, which has disproportionately affected Black Americans.
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“Communities of color are suffering by epic proportions due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said in a statement. “Many families live in underserved areas in homes that make it harder to practice social distancing. Communities that were already lacking funds for education, health and housing are now faced with alarming infection and fatalities. And these communities lack access to testing and equitable healthcare.”
Beyonce has long been a vocal advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement, speaking out on the police killing of George Floyd and advocating for justice after the police killing of Breonna Taylor. The entertainer, who is worth about $400 million, and her husband, Jay-Z, are entrepreneurs themselves and part owners of Tidal, an artist-owned subscription music streaming service. Her recent album, “Black is King,” took on new meaning in the wake of recent protests against police brutality and featured a number of independent Black designers.
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