Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc.

General Mills, the CBC Spouses Community Breakfast & Health Fair sponsor, presents its $100,000 check for the CBC Spouses Cheerios Brand Health Initiative Scholarship during the 2007 Annual Legislative Conference. Pictured (l-r) Vera Davis, wife of Rep. Danny Davis of Illinois; Kimberley Bow Sunday of General Mills (Cheerios); Eulada Watt, wife of Rep. Mel Watt of North Carolina; CBC Spouses Chairwoman Leslie Meek, wife of Rep. Kendrick B. Meek of Florida, the CBCF Board chairman; Christian Christensen, husband of Del. Donna M. Christensen of the U.S. Virgin Islands; and Kim Nelson of General Mills (Cheerios) and a CBCF Board member.

The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Spouses are comprised of the wives and husbands of the African American members of the United States Congress. The CBC Spouses were established in 1976 as a part of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF). For more than twenty-five years, the Spouses have worked with corporate sponsors to establish educational and training opportunities for high school and college students. The CBC Spouses laid the groundwork for the establishment of the CBCF’s internship and fellowship programs and in 1988, the Spouses established its first education scholarship program. Since then they have awarded more than $9 million in scholarships to deserving students.

As tuition costs rise, education funding is constantly being cut. The need for college assistance remains critical while options for receiving financial support are becoming more limited. It is the responsibility of organizations like the CBC Spouses to ensure that minority students enjoy the same benefits of a good education as any other young person who dreams of getting a college education. The CBC Spouses founders envisioned a mission to assist the youth of today while helping to prepare the next generation of leaders. The CBC Spouses have dedicated their time to fulfilling their mission to change the quality of life for youth who might not otherwise attend college.