The Racial Equity in Journalism Fund at Borealis Philanthropy has announced grants totaling $3.6 million in support of news organizations serving communities of color.

A donor collaborative launched in September 2019, the fund provides general operating support as well as capacity-building resources to enable news organizations led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color to invest in their long-term sustainability. Twenty-eight news outlets serving BIPOC, immigrant/refugee, rural, and poor and low-income communities across the United States will receive funding, with twelve of them renewal grants. Recipients include the Cicero Independiente, Epicenter-NYC, Indian Country Today, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, South Seattle Emerald, and the St. Louis American.

"Anyone who is living through the COVID pandemic, the continuing acts of police violence throughout America, especially against people of color, and the 2020 elections deeply understands the need for accurate, relevant news, and frankly how dangerous it is when stories are misreported or left out altogether," said journalist Raju Narisetti, who serves on the fund's advisory board. "Now more than ever, we need public affairs news to help inform and support full civic participation in our democracy and bring about long-term systemic change."

"People-of-color-serving media has always been a critical source for community information," said Farai Chideya, a  Creativity and Free Expression program officer at the Ford Foundation, a lead donor to the fund. "If we want to build an equitable and inclusive future, we must fund diverse and trusted media, now and into the future. Ford is proud to be increasing our investment in this work, pledging $6 million over the next three years."

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