Latest news with #KnightFoundation
CNBC
10 hours ago
- Business
- CNBC
Nike co-founder Phil Knight to donate $2 billion to University of Oregon's Cancer Institute
Nike co-founder Phil Knight is donating $2 billion to the Oregon Health and Science University's Cancer Institute, the single largest donation ever to a U.S. university, college or health institution, according to the Knight Foundation. The foundation said on Thursday the gift that will be used to shift the scientific approach to cancer treatment, research and patient care outcomes. As part of the gift, the Knights will partner with cancer research pioneer Dr. Brian Druker. A decade ago, Druker and OHSU took on a challenge to raise $500 million for cancer research, and the Knights signed on to match the raise dollar-for-dollar. "We are grateful for the opportunity to invest in the next stage of the Druker-led revolutionary vision of cancer research, diagnosis, treatment, care, and some day, eradication," Phil and Penny Knight said in a statement. "We couldn't be more excited about the transformational potential of this work for humanity." Knight's fortune stems from his success with the swoosh, the company he founded in 1964. Originally called Blue Ribbon Sports, the business began humbly, with Knight selling sneakers out of the trunk of his car, as he recounted in his 2016 memoir, "Shoe Dog." Nike went public in December 1980 and quickly became the most dominant sneaker brand, partnered with some of the top athletes across sport. During Knight's tenure at the public company, from its IPO to his June 2016 retirement, Nike shares soared almost 30,500%. Although Nike stock has had a painful few years, down more than 50% from its peak in late 2021, it remains the most valuable public company in athletic footwear, valued at more than $110 billion. The Knights are regularly found on lists of top philanthropists. In May, Time Magazine estimated their lifetime giving at $3.6 billion, including $370 million gifted in 2024 alone. According to the Knight Foundation's latest tax documents the foundation held more than $5 billion in assets at the end of 2023. "I wanted to build something that was my own, something I could point to and say: I made that. It was the only way I saw to make life meaningful," Knight said in his 2016 memoir.
CNBC
10 hours ago
- Business
- CNBC
Nike co-founder Phil Knight to donate $2 billion to OHSU cancer institute
Nike co-founder Phil Knight is donating $2 billion to the Oregon Health and Science University's Knight Cancer Institute, the single largest donation ever to a U.S. university, college or health institution, according to the Knight Foundation. The foundation said on Thursday the gift that will be used to shift the scientific approach to cancer treatment, research and patient care outcomes. As part of the gift, the Knights will partner with cancer research pioneer Dr. Brian Druker. A decade ago, Druker and OHSU took on a challenge to raise $500 million for cancer research, and the Knights signed on to match the raise dollar-for-dollar. "We are grateful for the opportunity to invest in the next stage of the Druker-led revolutionary vision of cancer research, diagnosis, treatment, care, and some day, eradication," Phil and Penny Knight said in a statement. "We couldn't be more excited about the transformational potential of this work for humanity." Knight's fortune stems from his success with the swoosh, the company he founded in 1964. Originally called Blue Ribbon Sports, the business began humbly, with Knight selling sneakers out of the trunk of his car, as he recounted in his 2016 memoir, "Shoe Dog." Nike went public in December 1980 and quickly became the most dominant sneaker brand, partnered with some of the top athletes across sport. During Knight's tenure at the public company, from its IPO to his June 2016 retirement, Nike shares soared almost 30,500%. Although Nike stock has had a painful few years, down more than 50% from its peak in late 2021, it remains the most valuable public company in athletic footwear, valued at more than $110 billion. The Knights are regularly found on lists of top philanthropists. In May, Time Magazine estimated their lifetime giving at $3.6 billion, including $370 million gifted in 2024 alone. According to the Knight Foundation's latest tax documents the foundation held more than $5 billion in assets at the end of 2023. "I wanted to build something that was my own, something I could point to and say: I made that. It was the only way I saw to make life meaningful," Knight said in his 2016 memoir.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Arts are the blueprint for building stronger, thriving cities, like Miami
Six months ago, when I stepped into my role as vice president for arts at Knight Foundation, I relocated to Miami, a city whose creative heartbeat is unlike anywhere else in the country. Since then, I've met with artists, cultural leaders and civic partners from across South Florida, and the message is clear: The arts here are not a luxury. They're essential to Miami's economic strength, civic identity and global appeal. After two decades of working across the arts in the public and nonprofit sectors, I can say this with conviction: Cities that invest in the arts, especially cities as diverse and fast-growing as Miami, are the ones that thrive. They're the places where neighborhoods are vibrant and walkable, where Cuban, Haitian, Caribbean and Latin American histories are honored and where public spaces are intentionally activated through the arts, infused with music, murals and performance that invite connection, spark creativity and bring communities together. Miami is living proof. From Little Havana to Little Haiti to Overtown to Coconut Grove and Wynwood, our creative communities don't just entertain, they drive the economy. We've seen it already: Art Basel on Miami Beach drawing the world's eyes (and wallets) to our shores annually, organizations working to preserve Overtown's music history while fostering growth, Wynwood's murals and galleries fueling year-round tourism and small business development. These aren't just nice-to-haves. They're economic engines and social glue. Cultural workers aren't just visual artists, performers or filmmakers. They're educators, small business owners, designers, historians and neighborhood anchors. In city after city, they're helping to power local economies, reimagine public space and strengthen civic identity. The arts create spaces where people can gather, question, celebrate, mourn and imagine together. They make room for complexity. They invite belonging. And they help us see each other more fully. In a time of deepening division and social fragmentation, the arts offer one of the few arenas where empathy can still thrive. Cities that harness their creative communities as engines of inclusion, innovation and civic connection are not just investing in beauty, they're investing in belonging. They're building the kinds of cities that people want to live in, work in and contribute to. I've seen it firsthand in places like Charlotte, where artists are partnering with local leaders to reimagine public life; in Akron, where culture is playing a vital role in downtown revitalization; and in Miami, where a globally connected arts ecosystem creates opportunities for both emerging and established artists while drawing visitors from around the world. When cities place arts and culture at the heart of community development, they unlock pathways to vibrant and sustained growth. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, for every $1 invested in the arts, the economy gains up to $5 in return through job creation, tourism and local spending. Time and time again, cities that place culture at the heart of their revitalization efforts have demonstrated that the arts are not just reflective of transformation, but catalytic in driving it. Embed the arts in cross-sector planning, ensuring artists and cultural voices are part of the conversation in housing, transit, climate and economic policy Invest in cultural infrastructure as economic infrastructure, recognizing that arts venues, creative hubs and cultural districts generate jobs, foot traffic and neighborhood vitality. Support cultural entrepreneurs and community-based creatives, the small business owners, makers and artists who anchor local economies and reflect the soul of the community. Let's start treating cultural strategy like the blueprint for civic resilience that it truly is. Arts and culture are not a frill. They are a framework for connection, for growth and for the cities we want to become. Kristina Newman-Scott, an interdisciplinary arts and culture leader, currently serves as vice president for arts at Knight Foundation.
Miami Herald
27-06-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Miami's Freedom Tower just got a $5 million gift from the Knight Foundation
The Knight Foundation has pledged $5 million to support the restoration and reopening of Miami's iconic Freedom Tower, Miami Dade College announced this week. The donation comes ahead of the tower's 100th anniversary and a planned public reopening in September. The funds will support new cultural programming, including a major exhibition and gallery, as well as ongoing preservation work at the downtown landmark, which has been closed since 2022. The Knight Foundation gift is the largest private contribution so far to the Freedom Tower Centennial Campaign, which aims to raise money to revitalize the nearly century-old building and reaffirm its role as a center for arts, culture and history in Miami. 'This gift is a testament to the belief that Miami's history deserves to be preserved, celebrated, and shared,' said MDC President Madeline Pumariega. 'Thanks to Knight Foundation's support, the Freedom Tower will continue to serve as a beacon of civic memory, cultural expression and community pride for the next 100 years.' The $5 million donation will fund the creation of the Knight Skylight Gallery and a new signature exhibition, 'Refuge and Reflection,' set to open this fall. The exhibit will explore the building's multifaceted history — from its early days as a journalism hub to its later role processing Cuban refugees in the 1960s and 1970s. 'For so many families, including my own, this landmark has long been a symbol of hope — a place where dreams of freedom and opportunity took root, said Francesca de Quesada Covey, the Knight Foundation's vice president of community impact. 'It holds the stories of our community's history, identity and resilience. With this gift, we're helping ensure those stories continue to be shared in ways that inspire and unite future generations.' Located on Biscayne Boulevard, the Freedom Tower has long stood as a symbol of Miami's immigrant roots. In 2008, it was designated a National Historic Landmark. The 289‑foot tower, often called the 'Ellis Island of the South,' was completed in 1925 as the headquarters of The Miami News, serving as a landmark of Miami's early 20th‑century growth. It later became the Cuban Refugee Assistance Center from 1962 to 1974, where hundreds of thousands of Cuban exiles found welcome, medical aid and new beginnings. MDC closed the tower in 2022 to begin a two-year, $25 million restoration. The project includes much-needed structural and façade repairs, but doesn't alter the building's Mediterranean-style exterior. The Knight Foundation's support comes alongside public investment. Earlier this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis included $25 million for the project in his state budget proposal. The college has also received a $500,000 state cultural grant and has formed a centennial advisory committee co-chaired by Gloria and Emilio Estefan. With construction underway, the college says it is on track to reopen the Freedom Tower in time for its centennial. In addition to the new exhibition, the renovated space will feature reimagined versions of the Cuban Legacy Gallery and the Kislak Center, housing artifacts, manuscripts and art celebrating Miami's diverse heritage. 'This gift is a testament to the belief that Miami's history deserves to be preserved, celebrated, and shared,' Pumariega said.
Boston Globe
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Trump's book bans hurt the chances for reparations
'We are in a moment of anti-Blackness on steroids, and we refuse to be silent,' Pressley said earlier this month during a press conference at the US Capitol. 'We will not back down in our pursuit of racial justice,' she added. 'The antidote to anti-Blackness is to be pro-Black, and we will do it unapologetically. The United States government owes us a debt, and we need reparations now.' A large majority of Black Americans agree with Pressley. Nearly 3 in 4 Black adults support reparations, according to a 2024 Advertisement But the percentage of Americans of other races and ethnicities who back the idea is low. Less than half of Hispanic (47 percent) and Asian American (45 percent) respondents are in favor of reparations. And only about a third (34 percent) of white adults surveyed back the idea. Only 36 percent of Americans overall back the idea, according to The reasons for this vary. Some of it may be rooted in prejudice and bias. After all, Japanese Americans received Advertisement But some of the opposition to reparations is rooted in ignorance. As communities prepare to commemorate the ending of slavery later this month on Juneteenth, the majority of Americans finish high school knowing very little about just how atrocious slavery was. Only 8 percent of high school seniors were able to identify slavery as the central cause of the Civil War, according to a 2018 Southern Poverty Law Center And in 2017, There are long-term consequences for this knowledge gap. Just 1 in 4 adults (24 percent) strongly agree that the legacies of slavery affect the position of Black people in American society today, according to the Princeton survey. And America's ignorance about slavery is likely to become more widespread given that support for book bans has reached the federal level. In an executive order aimed at preventing students from reading books that introduce ideas about privilege and oppression and their relationship to race, President Trump accused schools that teach students books like Advertisement 'Such an environment operates as an echo chamber, in which students are forced to accept these ideologies without question or critical examination,' he It's understandable why Trump, who made white grievance a foundational part of his presidential campaign, believes his effort to silence authors is popular. His return to the White House is largely viewed as confirmation of many Americans' rightward shift — even on matters of race — since the summer of 2020, when people filled the streets across the country to protest anti-Black racism after the police killing of George Floyd. Most Americans But Trump is misguided. Americans may not be in favor of what they consider preferential treatment based on race. But they are not fans of banning books — including those that aim to make a case for the need for that preferential treatment. Two-thirds of Americans oppose efforts to restrict books in public schools, according to a 2024 Knight Foundation While former vice president Kamala Harris was unsuccessful in her attempt to keep Trump from returning to the White House, she seemed much more in line with where most Americans are when it comes to learning about this country's history. Advertisement 'We just need to speak truth about history. In spite of the fact that some people try and erase history and try and teach our children otherwise,' Harris 'We need to speak truth about it in a way that is about driving solutions,' added Harris, who as a senator cosponsored the bill that Pressley recently reintroduced. In a country where
