Race and Ethnicity

In the face of attacks on equity and devastating natural disasters, philanthropy must double down on efforts to support communities of color.

Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) serve as critical lifelines for many students who might otherwise face barriers to attending college.

Join me for Episode 84 of the Investing in Impact podcast as I’m joined by Daryn Dodson, Founder of Illumen Capital, dedicated to advancing gender and racial equity in financial markets.

As Los Angeles battled its largest wildfires in history, parts of the southern U.S. faced a very different kind of disaster — record-breaking snowstorms not seen in over 125 years.

The number of Holocaust survivors globally has shrunk to 220,000 on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, according to a new estimate.
Why it matters: The anniversary, which also commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Monday, is likely the last major milestone with the presence of child survivors — the last generation of the Holocaust.
The big picture: Survivors are scheduled to speak at commemoration events around the world as advocates race to record their testimonies and as rising antisemitism and misinformation threatens to erase their stories.
A small number of survivors are expected to speak at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial & Museum commemoration in Oświęcim, Poland.
A handful of survivors will also be on hand at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
Zoom in: About 220,000 Holocaust survivors are living across around 90 countries, according to data from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) shared with Axios.
That’s down from 245,000 reported last year.
The vast majority (95%) are child survivors born between 1928 and 1946.
Holocaust survivor Lillian Feintuch holds up a picture of herself with her three brothers on December 17, 2024, in New York City. Feintuch was born in Balmazjvaros, Hungary, and her family was sent to the Strasshof concentration camp. Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
Zoom out: International Holocaust Remembrance Day seeks to bring attention to the Holocaust that killed 6 million Jews.
Though it’s held on the anniversary of the Soviet Red Army liberating Auschwitz, it’s also meant to memorialize survivors at Nazi death camps across Europe during World War II.
The latest: The Claims Conference this month launched “I Survived Auschwitz: Remember This,” a digital campaign featuring Holocaust survivors who endured the extermination camp.
The survivors respond on video to the question: Given your experience…

Major Healthcare Shifts Ahead: From DEI to Drug Prices, What’s Changing?
As an organization dedicated to the health and wellness of Black women, we feel it’s crucial to address the recent executive orders that could affect our community’s access to healthcare and overall wellbeing. 
What’s Changed?
Several executive orders that supported equity and expanded healthcare access have been rescinded. Of particular importance to our community are the reversals of:
Executive Order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities
Executive Order 14009 on Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act
Executive Order 14070 on Continuing to Strengthen Americans’ Access to Affordable, Quality Health Coverage
Executive Order 14087 on Lowering Prescription Drug Costs
Executive Order 13995 on Ensuring an Equitable Pandemic Response and Recovery
When “Everyone’s Responsible” Means No One Is Accountable
The rollback of DEI initiatives reminds us of an important truth: when we make everyone generally responsible for fairness in healthcare, we often end up with no one specifically accountable for it. Here’s what this looks like in practice:
Without dedicated DEI offices, addressing healthcare disparities becomes “everyone’s job,” but no one’s priority
Removing specific equity goals from performance metrics means institutions lose concrete ways to measure progress
Eliminating dedicated positions means no one is specifically tasked with monitoring and addressing systemic barriers
Without formal programs, addressing bias in healthcare settings becomes optional rather than required
What’s Changing
Federal agencies have 60 days to terminate DEI offices and positions
Review and revision of federal employment practices
Changes to federal contractor requirements regarding DEI training
Elimination of equity-related grants and contracts
The connection between DEI programs and healthcare outcomes cannot be overstated. Research consistently shows that diverse healthcare teams lead to better patient outcomes for our community. Cultural competency in healthcare settings has proven crucial for building trust…

The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) today launched “I Survived Auschwitz: Remember This,” a new digital campaign featuring Holocaust survivors who endured the extermination camp synonymous with evil. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the largest and deadliest Nazi concentration and extermination camp. More than 1.1 million people were murdered at the camp during its five years of operation. 
This two-week social media endeavor features Holocaust survivors answering the question: Given your experience as an Auschwitz survivor, what is one specific thing – a person, a moment or an experience – you want people to remember for generations to come?  
The powerful responses include survivors wanting the world to remember family members, pivotal moments during the Holocaust and towns where they had lived that were dramatically changed or completely lost during World War II.  
Gideon Taylor, President of the Claims Conference said, “The horrors that occurred at Auschwitz were an evil that no human should ever endure, but also an evil that no human should ever forget. While it is difficult to imagine oneself in a concentration camp, we can all relate to wanting people to remember loved ones we’ve lost, experiences that shaped us and moments that were important to us. It is critical that we educate future generations about Auschwitz. I Survived Auschwitz: Remember This does so by connecting the generations with our shared humanity.” 
The campaign is inspired in part by Auschwitz survivor Aron Krell’s testimony about his brother, Zvi, who died from starvation after a year in the Lodz ghetto. Aron Krell remembered Zvi – the second of three boys in their family – as a soccer player. But the lack of food, grueling forced labor and dearth of medical treatment left Zvi emaciated. Aron recalled the last…