Taking on Race: P&G's Commitment to Empowering Communities and Commemorating Juneteenth

Three Years of Taking on Race in Support of Communities of Color

Take on Race is P&G’s community impact platform dedicated to helping advance efforts to create a world where equity and inclusion are a reality. Through partnerships with local and national organizations, Take on Race enables and amplifies change-making initiatives that are designed to address the systemic biases and inequities stifling communities of color.

Ongoing events in our nation, fueled by racism, bias and brutality, make it apparent there is still much work to be done. That’s why we are committed to being a catalyst for action that can lead to better outcomes for the communities we serve now and in the future.

Over the past three years, we have established impactful programs with organizations including UNCF, YWCA, YMCA, Black Women’s Health Imperative and LISC to address existing inequities in several focus areas, including economic empowerment, education and health equity.

Our Commitment in Action, Juneteenth and Beyond

Juneteenth — June 19th — is the commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S. On this day in 1865, Texas became the last U.S. state to recognize that slaves were free, two and a half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. While Juneteenth recognizes the end of slavery, we continue to see its impact persist today — as evidenced by the inequities and injustices that Black Americans continue to face.

It is fitting that on Juneteenth we take a moment to reflect on the sustained actions we are taking to advance our long-standing and steadfast commitment to support efforts across the country that spark dialogue to advance understanding and move people to action.

Here is how P&G has continued to move from moments that inspire change to movements of transformative action across three strategic pillars:

• Empowering Communities by Improving Outcomes for Boys and Men of Color. Last year we announced our partnership with YWCA’s Boys and Young Men of Color (BYMOC) Initiative, whose mission is to help Black families and communities thrive by empowering boys and young me of color to succeed. To date, this evidence-based initiative has expanded to 26 states and 56 cities, reaching more than 3,500 boys and young men of color. P&G’s support for BYMOC builds and invests in pathways to success that inspire and transform personal identities so that boys and young men of color can reach their full potential, leading to better life outcomes.
• Driving Economic Empowerment by Elevating Women of Color in Child Care. The pandemic saw a significant reduction in the number of childcare facilities, an estimated 90% of which are owned by women, more than half of whom are women of color. P&G partnered with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to support women of color-owned childcare facilities in three cities that over the past year received much needed support for capacity building, infrastructure and technology grants. This program positively impacted more than 53 childcare facilities caring for over 500 children and provided crucial support they may otherwise not have had the ability to access.

• Sparking Dialogue on Health Equity that Leads to Action. Throughout the year, P&G sponsors key events that continue to shine a spotlight on issues of importance to the Black community. For the fourth year in a row, P&G sponsored Black Women Lead in collaboration with All In Together and Higher Heights. This year, P&G elevated health equity issues, including disparities in Black maternal health and menstrual equity being led by Take on Race partner, Black Women’s Health Imperative.

We take a moment to reflect on the work we have done and the work we have yet to do. We remain committed this Juneteenth and throughout the entire year to sustained action to drive systemic change.