Black History Month 2025: Career resources and opportunities for Black talent
During Black History Month, we are called to remember the pivotal moments that have shaped our collective history. When we retell these stories, we honor the people who fought for racial equality and those who continue to strive for justice. This year, the theme ’African Americans and Labor’ invites us to reflect on the role of prison labor and the enslavement of Black people in building our nation. We must make a change to move forward!
At Resilience, it’s our mission to not only break these cycles of incarceration but also increase economic mobility for those affected by the system. For Black History Month, we have curated a list of career opportunities, programs, and resources for Black talent. It includes everything from scholarships to community organizations, accelerator programs, and access to capital.
Share this list with those in your circle so that more people can benefit from these opportunities.
Business programs, entrepreneurship, and funding
Black Connect: Black Connect’s mission is to eliminate the racial wealth gap in America by increasing the number and success rate of Black-owned businesses and advancing pathways to build Black wealth through entrepreneurship.
NAACP grants: The NAACP believes in the power of Black entrepreneurship and partners with several organizations to provide grants for Black-owned businesses.
African-American Chamber of Commerce: The AACC is the leading advocate for minority-owned businesses in the Delaware Valley and Southeastern Pennsylvania. Its purpose is to enhance the growth and effectiveness of African-American-owned businesses.
Digital tools from Bank of America: Bank of America’s suite of digital tools, resources, and expert advice has been designed to help Black and African American business owners move forward.
Funding opportunities with Black Girl Ventures: BGV creates access to capital, capacity, and community for under-resourced entrepreneurs, enabling business sustainability and generating intergenerational wealth for a more equitable society.
Funding opportunities with Fearless Fund: Fearless Fund invests in under-resourced entrepreneurs, including women of color-led businesses seeking pre-seed, seed level, or series A financing.
Camelback Ventures’s accelerator for entrepreneurs: Camelback Ventures increases access to opportunity for entrepreneurs of color and women by investing in their ventures and leadership while advocating for fairness in their funding.
Black-owned businesses resources list: Small Business Resource Center for the 50+ helps aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with running a business.
Scholarships, education programs, and educator resources
The Ron Brown Scholar Program: This scholarship honors the legacy of Ronald H. Brown through a selective scholarship program, which advances higher education for African Americans.
NAACP scholarships: The NAACP offers need-based and merit scholarships to outstanding and qualified Black students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees as part of their Inspire Initiatives program.
UNCF scholarships: UNCF is the nation’s largest private scholarship provider to minority group members. Each year, it awards more than $100 million in scholarships to students attending more than 1,100 schools, including its prestigious network of 37 HBCUs.
Federal Student Aid: The FSA provides approximately $120.8 billion each year to help students pay for school. Federal Pell Grants are awarded to undergraduate students in financial need who have not earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree.
Center for Black Educator Development: The Center for Black Educator Development aims to increase the number of Black teachers so that Black and other disenfranchised students can reap the full benefits of a quality public education.
Black Teacher Project: BTP is dedicated to providing culturally relevant and affirming professional development in Black racial affinity that supports Black teachers to thrive professionally, financially, physically, and mentally.
100 Black Men of America, Inc.: The 100 aims to improve the quality of life for Black communities by enhancing educational and economic opportunities for all African Americans. Its education programs include scholarships, initiatives for young people, and advocacy projects.
List of scholarships for Black and African American students: BestColleges empowers students to make smarter educational decisions and find schools that best fit their needs through proprietary research, user-friendly guides, and hundreds of unique college rankings.
Fresh Out Community-Based Reentry Program: Fresh Out helps underserved and overrepresented Black and African American populations transition from prison back into society.
National Reentry Network: The National Reentry Network for Returning Citizens assists formerly incarcerated people and those who are imprisoned to reenter society.
The Anti-Recidivism Coalition: The ARC empowers formerly and currently incarcerated people to thrive by providing a support network, comprehensive reentry services, and opportunities to advocate for policy change.
The TGI Justice Project: This project aims to challenge and end the human rights abuses committed against Black and Brown Trans people inside of California prisons, jails, detention centers, and beyond.
The Benedict Center: The center offers programs that serve women impacted by the criminal justice system. It delivers impactful programs and advocates for meaningful change for women and local communities.
A New Way of Life Reentry Project: A New Way of Life promotes healing, power, and opportunity for formerly incarcerated people by taking a multifaceted approach to mitigating the effects of, and ultimately eliminating, mass incarceration.
Flikshop School of Business: The Flikshop School of Business aims to expose its students to entrepreneurship and prepare them with workforce readiness skills.