Grantmakers in the News
August 1, 2005
Name: Aflac
Year founded: 1955
Address: 1932 Wynnton Road
Columbus, GA 31999
Telephone: 1-800-99-AFLAC
URL: www.aflac.com/us/en/aboutaflac/CommunityInvolvement.aspx
Aflac, the Columbus, Georgia-based insurance provider, presented the Smithsonian Institution with a $1 million gift for the creation of the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in June. Dan Amos, Chairman and CEO of Aflac, presented the donation during a ceremony in the Smithsonian’s Castle Building, making the company the first Fortune 500 company to donate funds toward the new museum’s construction.
“Aflac is proud to lead the way in contributing to this worthy cause,” Amos stated. “The museum will serve as a great way to spotlight America’s diverse history while honoring the African-American experience that has been instrumental in the development of our great nation. I look forward to the completion of this significant cultural landmark.”
The museum was established in December 2003 when President Bush signed the legislation establishing it as part of the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian Board of Regents announced the founding 19-member council of the museum in December 2004, including leaders from business, academia, and the arts. Planning, design and construction of the museum are currently underway.
The National Museum of African-American History and Culture will be the only national institution dedicated exclusively to the documentation of African-American life, art, history and culture. Exhibits will cover such varied topics as slavery, post-Civil War reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance, and the civil rights movement.
“I am proud to be involved with a company that recognizes the important contributions that African-Americans have made to our great country,” said Dr. Robert L. Wright, former chairman of the Presidential Commission for the National Museum of African-American History and Culture and a member of Aflac’s board of directors. “Aflac has a long-standing history of philanthropy and a profound understanding of the importance of diversity."
Aflac made their pledge to support this museum in November 2002. On January 17, 2005, Aflac donated $1 million for the construction of a national memorial commemorating the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during an MLK Unity Breakfast held in Columbus, Georgia.
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