GCI supports new Alaska Black Caucus Equity Center
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – GCI is helping the Alaska Black Caucus open its new Equity Center in downtown Anchorage with a three-year, $15,000 annual agreement, plus an annual $24,000 in-kind connectivity donation. The Equity Center is focused on addressing systemic challenges in BIPOC communities by providing services in the areas of economic recovery, education and community action.
The Equity Center will include offices for the Alaska Black Caucus, a multipurpose educational room and a technology and literacy lab. Additionally, the Center will house a BIPOC small business incubator with offices, collaborative workspaces, workstations, as well as a commercial kitchen for businesses at below-market rental rates.
“In late 2020, we increased our focus on giving back to organizations that have a mission rooted in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion,” said GCI Contributions and Events Senior Manager Megan Mazurek. “Since then, we’ve doubled our funds directed to programs that incorporate DEI into their mission. Alaska Black Caucus and its new Equity Center is a great example of the programs we strive to support, and we are excited to play a part in helping them fill this need in the community.”
BIPOC communities were disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially economically. The centralized services facility will support the BIPOC community and enable BIPOC-led businesses and organizations to flourish. Located downtown, the center will position its tenants and users well for both civic involvement and location accessibility and contribute to the economic recovery of downtown Anchorage.
“We want to provide a comprehensive services facility for the BIPOC community and especially BIPOC leaders,” said Celeste Hodge Growden, President and CEO of the Alaska Black Caucus. “We’re excited to open the Equity Center and provide our community this space.”
The Alaska Black Caucus is dedicated to asserting the constitutional rights of African Americans through community involvement, public education and awareness campaigns, and support for the cultural and economic well‐being of the African American community in Alaska. This is achieved by actively involving the Caucus in the decision-making processes at the community level. By collaborating as a contributing partner with civic decisionmakers and representative bodies, the Caucus strives to impact the lives and livelihoods of African Americans and more.
GCI is one of Alaska’s leaders in corporate philanthropy, donating approximately $2 million each year in cash, products, and connectivity to organizations across the state. GCI is committed to giving back to the communities it serves, and diversity, equity and inclusion are an important area of focus for giving for the company. Giving back is also a company value as employees receive 16 hours of paid leave to volunteer with local organizations.
For more information about GCI Gives visit GCI.com/gcigives.
About GCI
Headquartered in Alaska, GCI provides data, mobile, video, voice and managed services to consumer, business, government, and carrier customers throughout Alaska, serving more than 200 communities. The company has invested more than $4 billion in its Alaska network and facilities over the past 40 years and recently launched true standards-based 5G NR service in Anchorage, now the nation’s northernmost 5G service area. Learn more about GCI at www.gci.com. GCI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Broadband Corporation (Nasdaq: LBRDA, LBRDK, LBRDP). Learn more about Liberty Broadband at http://www.libertybroadband.com.