Los Angeles-based ECMC Foundation has announced a five-year, $20 million initiative to help colleges and universities better serve men of color.

The Men of Color (MOC) Initiative aims to increase degree attainment at all levels of postsecondary education for Black, Latinx, Southeast Asian, and Native American men through data-informed and equity-centered programs and practices. To that end, the initiative will work to develop new programs and strengthen the effectiveness of existing ones on college campuses; address structural and systemic factors related to the intersection of racial, ethnic, and gender inequities; and build and expand networks and partnerships to support men of color across various college campuses.

The initial MOC Initiative recipient is the University of Southern California (USC) Race and Equity Center, which was awarded $1.8 million to assist 12 community colleges as they pilot, implement, and scale innovative efforts in support of men of color on their campuses.

“We want to build a postsecondary landscape that allows men of color to attend colleges and universities designed to promote their success and well-being,” said ECMC Foundation president Peter J. Taylor. “Our first-of-its-kind initiative aims to address longstanding disparities and dismantle outdated stereotypes which persist despite decades-long efforts to support men of color on and off campus.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Violeta Stoimenova)