Award-Winning Actress Keke Palmer assisted Mcdonald’s USA in presenting the Future 22 leaders with grants at a special event during the Essence Festival.
During a ceremony thrown in their honor by the ESSENCE Festival, $220,000 in grants were awarded
Through its Black & Positively Golden movement, McDonald’s USA gifted their Future 22 leaders each with $10,000 grants to advance the selected individuals and their community-focused causes.
“It’s an honor to join McDonald’s to recognize and celebrate these awesome leaders while also supporting their work and mission,” Keke said. “They are creating bright futures for themselves and the next generation – and, really, all of us – and the excitement on their faces during the McDonald’s surprise gave me joy,” she added.
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Each selected Future 22 member has had their story told through an extensive campaign that includes videos on Instagram, on McDonald’s YouTube channel and radio ads featuring Keke Palmer.
The seven selected Future 22 members whose stories were shared are Nasir Barnes from Deerfield, MA; Kevin Brooks from Memphis, TN; Parisia Hutchinson from Newburgh, NY; Marveon Mabon from Watts, CA, Earl Robinson from Richmond, VA; Nyla Sams from Long Island, NY and J.C. Smith from Jackson, FL.
The seven Future 22 introduced in February were out of the total 22 selected. Each month, they highlighted more game-changers throughout the campaign until reaching the full 22.
During the celebratory event, McDonald’s sponsored an open discussion moderated by McDonald’s Senior Director of Cultural Engagement, Elizabeth Campbell.
The curated conversation was to inspire the Future 22 leaders and advise them on staying the course, finding balance in life while working toward changing the world, and other impactful topics.
“This year’s Essence Fest theme was Black Joy, and we couldn’t wait to celebrate all 22 leaders and bring them to New Orleans in honor of their accomplishments,” Campbell said.
“We certainly could’ve surprised them virtually, but making them a part of our Essence Fest moment meant unlocking the additional community of supporters who are McDonald’s Owner/Operators and the Essence Fest family, to further celebrate them and demonstrate our belief in their work. It was more special than imagined, representing our commitment to feeding and fostering the communities we serve,” she said.
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The partnership between McDonald’s Future 22 and the Essence Festival is one of many ways Mcdonald’s has created initiatives celebrating Black people.
For over 65 years, McDonald’s and its Owner have partnered with HBCUs and awarded scholarships to HBCU students to advance Black excellence.
Their partnerships include organizations like the National Urban League, NAACP, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and more.
For more information on McDonald’s Future 22, follow @wearegolden on Instagram.
