During Black History Month, we honor the past and acknowledge the profound work of advancing racial and health equity across Kansas. It is in this spirit that we reflect on the work championed by figures of the Civil Rights Movement and carried forward by organizations like those that make up the partners of our Building Power & Equity Partnership (BPEP) program. 

• Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills, who are renovating and reviving the historic Shepard’s Chapel in Manhattan as the future home of the Yuma Street Cultural Center.
• The Black MasterMind Group, who recently celebrated the grand opening of Legacy Park Plaza—a community space designed to stimulate economic growth and job creation.
• HOPE Community Development Corporation, who while working with Prime Craftsman Homes and the Wichita Affordable Housing Fund recently completed four modular homes and more on the way. 

The organizations are preserving culture and community, creating economic opportunities and affordable housing solutions, and more. This work is a direct reflection of the second part of our Three-Part Purpose Statement: to eliminate the inequities causing the greatest health disparities—often along the lines of race, income, geography and education.

Now in its third year, our Building Power & Equity Partnership program continues to empower our partners through capacity building, core support funding and other resources like coaching and technical assistance. That’s the second strategy of our Strategic Framework at work: building the power and influence of partners working closest to the communities with the greatest health disparities.

“If we don’t have organizations that have real power, that have real influence… we’re not going to make the progress we need.” – Ed O’Malley, President & CEO, Kansas Health Foundation

Our partners are simultaneously growing their own influence and becoming established and trusted voices that address issues affecting their communities. 

• Create Campaign, who maintain their own Create Capital Fund and created lending frameworks to serve diverse entrepreneurs with flexible loan options. 
• Kansas Black Farmers Association, who launched a Growing Group initiative for farmers, producers and product developers to access business development and certification support.
• Destination Innovation, who—advocating for youth to have access to needed resources and opportunities to thrive—tackles policies, practices and biases that cause inequities to persist.

Building the power and influence of these organizations ensures that, when they speak up, people in their communities, throughout the region and across the state listen.

“Power is the ability to achieve a purpose. Whether or not it is good or bad depends upon the purpose.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

For us, the purpose is clear: to eliminate the inequities that cause the greatest health disparities by building the power and influence of the organizations working toward racial and health equity.

The Building Power & Equity Partnership program is Kansas Health Foundation’s largest investment in racial and health equity in our history. We are honored to hold this purpose, aligned with our values and moving forward with commitment to the belief that we can eliminate the disparities central to empowering Kansas to lead the nation in health.