Allyson Felix Receives $20 Million Grant from Melinda Gates

Allyson Felix, a renowned Olympic star and black maternal health advocate, has received a hefty $20 million grant from Melinda Gates’ $1 billion maternal health initiative, which she announced in May.

This grant honors Felix’s ongoing dedication to improving maternal health within the United States, reflecting Gates’ commitment to supporting organizations that defend women’s, families’, and reproductive rights. In an announcement to Gates, he emphasized the intense underfunding for women-focused issuesstating that “despite the urgent need, only about 2 percent of charitable giving in the United States goes to organizations focused on women and girls, and only about half a percentage point goes to organizations focused on women of color.”

Gates’ grant to Felix is ​​a part of a broader initiative. “In nearly 20 years as an advocate for women and girls, I’ve learned that there will always be people who say this is not the time to talk about gender equality,” Gates said. “Not if you want to be relevant. Not if you want to be effective with world leaders (most of whom are men). The moment the global agenda gets crowded, women and girls leave.”

The grant goals to handle pressing issues reminiscent of the disproportionately high maternal mortality rate amongst Black and Native American moms, the lack of reproductive rights in 14 states and the dearth of paid family leave within the U.S.

In addition to the grant, Felix’s personal experiences have led her to advocate for black maternal health. According to NBC Olympics, the athlete has He cooperated with Pampers will create the first-ever nursery within the Olympic Village for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Located within the Athletes’ Village Plaza, the center of the athletes’ residential area throughout the Games, this revolutionary initiative provides a haven for competing moms to nurture and bond with their babies.

“The biggest thing was the support of the athletes who are mothers,” Felix said. “It’s a place where families can get away from it all and have some of the comforts of home. They can have time to play and places to feed their children… It’s a place where mothers and families feel supported.”

She previously worked with the brand to advertise black maternal health, securing the declared amount of $250,000 for this case and donating $100,000 to the National Birth Equity Collaborative. As previously described in BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIPFelix spoke about her experience in 2018, when she underwent a cesarean section attributable to preeclampsia, and later testified before Congress about racial disparities in perinatal care. Felix described her pregnancy as “a really isolating and lonely time,” revealing that she needed to hide it from Nike attributable to contract concerns.