Journalist Taylor Rooks Launches Foundation To Empower Black And Brown Families Through Education, Health, And Opportunity

Taylor Rooks is launching a foundation that will assist Black and brown families.

Taylor Rooks Foundation

According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, the two-time Emmy Award-nominated journalist and producer was inspired by the stories she has told and people she has encountered throughout the course of her life to launch the Taylor Rooks Foundation. This has led to what will be a long-term effort to support storytellers and uplift Black and Brown individuals and families through education, health, and opportunity regardless of their “zip code, background, or bank account.”

The nonprofit is guided by the following pillars:

• REACH (educational resources, community wellness initiatives, small business support, and direct giving)
• RELIEVE (support for health and recovery, crisis assistance, and essential living needs)
• REPRESENT (mentorship for journalists, storytelling workshops, and launch of Rising Rooks Award)

“I believe that equity starts with access — access to care, to confidence, to opportunity,” said Rooks in a press release. “My work is rooted in trust, community, and the radical idea that a single act of support can rewrite someone’s story.”

First Donation

The Taylor Rooks Foundation, which is fiscally sponsored by Players Philanthropy Fund Inc., has already made its first donation to the Lower Eastside Girls Club in New York City, an Instagram post confirms.

“Funding from the Taylor Rooks Foundation supports the Lower Eastside Girls Club’s free innovative programming and vital services offered to female-identified and gender-expansive youth, their families, and the broader Lower East Side community in NYC,” a Lower Eastside Girls Club representative said in a news release. “The Foundation’s generous contribution helps further our mission of creating Joy, Power, and Possibility at a critical moment when the need is more urgent than ever.”

Looking ahead, the Taylor Rooks Foundation intends on donating to the “Teacher’s Supplies for Success,” an initiative providing school supplies and fulfilling classroom needs nationwide.