Today is Juneteenth, a national holiday and a moment to celebrate and reflect:

Learn more about the history of this milestone day in American history, via the National Museum of African American History:

And check out how some of our grantees are celebrating this important day, through remembrance, programming and the empowerment of Black-led nonprofits and initiatives:

Rebecca Richards-Kortum, Ph.D., Director of Rice360, writes about what the project gained by being a 100&Change finalist in 2017 and not receiving the $100 million award.

On April 7, six teams gave their final pitch to win $100 million in MacArthur’s second 100&Change competition. And five of them learned they lost. These teams will all keep working long after the recipient being announced, but this loss cuts deep. I know, because I was part of a team that “lost” in the final round of the first 100&Change competition.

After defying seemingly impossible odds to make it to the finals and…

Today marks the full reopening of the city of Chicago since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic! In celebration of this milestone, there will be extended hours from a number of arts and culture institutions we support, including: the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry and the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture.

A peek at some other things going on in the Chicago arts and culture scene this week. We are excited to see the return of in-person arts and culture experiences this summer:

The third cohort of Leaders for a New Chicago do groundbreaking work in the arts, justice, and storytelling and media. The ten awardees will receive a no-strings-attached award of $25,000, and their affiliated organizations will receive a matching $25,000 in general operating support. MacArthur and the Field Foundation partner to support the award to recognize leaders with a diversity of religion, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, geographies, and income levels. Learn more about the 2021 awardees and their work.

Three organizations at the forefront of inclusive media making are creating opportunities for historically marginalized people in film and media.

As a young filmmaker in the early 1990s, Dr. Yvonne Welbon began researching Black women filmmakers, a group marginalized since the film industry’s early days more than a century ago.

After finding hundreds of films and videos Black women created over the decades, Welbon compiled the research in a database that became one of the largest archives of film and video work by Black women. The effort led her to write a book, establish a website, and make a documentary.

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Forty years ago today, The New York Times announced the very first class of MacArthur Fellows. As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the MacArthur Fellowship, we highlight the MacArthur Fellows Program’s commitment to recognizing exceptionally creative and inspiring individuals with no-strings-attached grants.

Though much has changed over the past forty years, a few things have stayed the same: MacArthur Fellows in a variety of fields have pursued their creative ideas, cultivated cross-disciplinary collaborations, and inspired us all with their field-changing endeavors.

We asked MacArthur Fellows from all classes how the Fellowship has impacted them and their work, and throughout…

Geoffrey Banks, Senior Program Officer, and MacArthur President John Palfrey share insights about the participatory process that shaped our Equitable Recovery grantmaking, with a focus on advancing racial and ethnic justice.

Last year, we issued bonds to make $125 million of additional grants in response to the twin pandemics of systemic racism and COVID-19. Given the urgency of the moment, a first round of $25 million in Equitable Recovery grants addressed voting and democracy, COVID-19, and systemic racism. …

Debra Schwartz, Managing Director, Impact Investments, shares how investing catalytic capital in the Women In Safe Homes Fund is fueling investment, innovation, and impact for women and their families.

As the long journey toward pandemic recovery begins, impact investors are called to action on many fronts: small business development, healthcare access, stable housing, equitable education, racial and ethnic justice, climate change, and more. While we look to do our part by investing for an equitable recovery, we need to remember that this is not just about how much but also what kind of capital we put to work.

By using…