The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation Names First Vice Chair
NEW YORK CITY – The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation (RFLF), one of the oldest African American private foundations in the world, recently named Christina Lewis as the new Vice Chair. Lewis, who also holds the position of Treasurer of the Board, is the daughter of Chairwoman Loida Nicolas Lewis, businesswoman and philanthropist, and late entrepreneur Reginald F. Lewis, the RFLF’s founding Chairman; the late Chairman and CEO of TLC Beatrice International; and the co-author of the iconic business book, “Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?”.
“Family foundations should always have a succession plan, and I am so happy that Christina has agreed to take on the mantle when it is needed,” Mrs. Lewis says proudly, adding that she is thrilled that her daughter is ready to take on the position.
Christina was primed at a young age to follow in her parents’ footsteps when it comes to philanthropy. “I feel beyond proud. It is a privilege to serve others and to build on a 35-year legacy of Black and Asian philanthropy,” she says. Christina is also a writer, investor, and social entrepreneur who founded two organizations: All Star Code, a computer science education nonprofit that empowers Black and Latino young men to succeed in technology; and The Giving Gap, a comprehensive database of Black-Founded non-profit organizations aiming to advance racial equity in giving and mobilizing positive action for Black lives.
The goal of The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation is to be a force for economic and social justice in the United States and beyond, particularly for African-American youth. Its other legacy programmatic areas of interest have been education, children’s programs and the arts with a focus on empowerment through education, diversifying the professions and promoting cultural diversity. Recently, the RFLF has focused on increased access to STEM, entrepreneurship and closing the wealth gap.
The RFLF has given $30 million in grants since its founding in 1987, including a $3 million grant to Harvard Law School in 1993, the largest grant the school had ever received at that time. In 2002, the Foundation also endowed $5 million to The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History and Culture in Baltimore, MD. RFLF also made founding grants to The Lewis College, All Star Code, Giving Gap, the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture and the Obama Foundation.
Mr. Reginald F. Lewis was a pioneering financier and entrepreneur who is renowned for his acquisition of Beatrice International Foods Corporation at a historic $985 million in 1987— the transaction was the largest offshore leveraged buyout, at the time.
In 1992, TLC Beatrice International had sales of over $1.8 billion annually, making it the first Black-owned business to generate a billion dollars in annual sales.