Art museum group participates in Give 8/28, a national giving campaign

On August 28, 2021, The Friends of African American Art & Culture (FAAAC), an affinity group of the Columbia Museum of Art (CMA), will host a day of giving to raise money for its annual programming initiatives. The fundraising day comes as Black-led and Black-benefiting organizations across the country participate in Give 8/28 (#Give828), a national day of giving hosted by the Young, Black & Giving Back Institute. #Give828 is the only day of giving specifically focused on highlighting the importance of Black-led organizations, which receive only 2% of institutional philanthropy dollars from foundations.

#Give828 seeks to galvanize support for organizations working at the grassroots level to empower Black communities in areas such as education and mentoring, economic empowerment, policy advocacy, health and wellness, and much more. The FAAAC will focus its fundraising efforts on year-round programming, including sponsored events to support the CMA’s extraordinary 30 Americans exhibition, on view October 9, 2021, through January 17, 2022 (Martin Luther King Day).

“We’re excited to participate in #Give828 because funds raised through this effort will allow FAAAC to continue its 10-year legacy of sponsoring vibrant and relevant programming that celebrates African American art and artists,” says Therese A. Griffin, FAAAC president. “This is our second year as a #Give828 organization, and we’re hoping that both current and new supporters will align themselves with our commitment to attracting diverse audiences to the Columbia Museum of Art.”

#Give828 takes place during Black Philanthropy Month and commemorates multiple important historical landmarks occurring on August 28:

• August 28, 1955: 14-year-old Emmett Till was brutally murdered by three white men; this heinous act became a “flashpoint in the civil rights movement.”
• August 28, 1963: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have A Dream” speech in Washington, D.C.
• August 28, 2005: Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana. The storm, which devastated New Orleans, inordinately impacted many of the city’s Black residents.
• August 28, 2008: Then-Senator Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president, becoming the first Black man to ever win the nomination and bid for the presidency.

For more information about FAAAC and the #Give828 campaign, go to https://www.give828.org/story/Faaacgive828.