Walmart has announced grants totaling $2 million to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute to expand internship opportunities on Capitol Hill for diverse youth populations.

The grants of $1 million over three years from the giant retailer, which has invested more than $6 million in such programs in recent years, will enable CHCI and CBCF to provide Latino undergraduates and college students and young professionals of color with paid spring and summer internships on Capitol Hill, as well as housing, monthly stipends, leadership training, and professional development opportunities.

Although people of color currently comprise 36 percent of the U.S. population, only 7.1 percent work as senior staffers in the U.S. Senate, according to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. 

"At Walmart, our commitment to diversity and inclusion spreads beyond our stores and out into the communities where our associates and customers live," said Julie Gehrki, the company's vice president of programs. "Through relationships with organizations like CHCI and CBCF that reflect the diversity of American society, we can open the door to help more young people build a career in public service and expand the pipeline of talent on Capitol Hill and beyond by providing our future leaders with the tools needed for success."