The Caterpillar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Caterpillar Inc. and a founding donor of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), is proud to announce a new collaboration with NMAAHC and the creation of the first-ever Caterpillar Curator of African American Innovation and Entrepreneurship through a $2 million grant.
The grant will support the creation of a new NMAAHC museum position named the Caterpillar Curator of African American Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This position will direct initiatives to help NMAAHC advance new conversations and understanding of diversity and inclusion through the lens of African American innovation and entrepreneurship in science and technology. The grant will also establish an endowment for permanent funding to support creating and maintaining collections, exhibits and programs that highlight and preserve the history and culture of African Americans and the contemporary traditions of innovation and entrepreneurship in the African American community.
“Entrepreneurship has created opportunities for African Americans often when there were none,” said Kevin Young, Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. “Those innovators have changed the ways that people experience the world today and forged a way for future generations to follow. We’re excited to share their work through this collaboration with the Caterpillar Foundation as we continue to share the efforts of African Americans and their impact on American history and culture.”
“Caterpillar’s commitment to diversity and inclusion extends beyond our workforce. The Caterpillar Foundation’s ongoing partnership with the museum provides a platform for thought leadership and best practice sharing,” said Caterpillar Chairman & CEO Jim Umpleby. “The Caterpillar Foundation is pleased to support sharing lessons learned from generations of African American changemakers, providing tools and perspectives to inspire current and future innovators, and build resiliency among individuals and communities.”
September marked the five-year anniversary of the NMAAHC and 10 years that the Caterpillar Foundation has partnered with the Smithsonian Institution through strategic grants and the matching gifts program.
