Former CEO of Xerox, Ursula Burns, Donates $1M To Preserve An Oral Archive Of Black History

Ursula Burns, the first black woman to serve as a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, has donated $1 million to a video oral history archive initiative called “The HistoryMakers,” which records the stories of extraordinary African Americans for posterity.

“The HistoryMakers” is housed at the Library of Congress and is the largest collection of African American stories told on video in the nation.

According to Black Enterprise,  Burns’ generous donation will allow the project to expand significantly.

The gift will be allocated toward the production of 180 interviews of African American women in a slew of different roles, including the arts, business, civic engagement, education, entertainment, law, medicine, STEM, the military, and religion, who will be added to The HistoryMakers already vast collection.

“The HistoryMakers” was founded in 2000, and this year marks its 20th anniversary this year. To date, the nonprofit organization has interviewed over 3,300 African Americans, with 800 more men featured in the collection currently than women. Burns’ gift was dedicated in honor of her late husband, Lloyd F. Bean, a retired Xerox scientist, and inventor.

At a luncheon in New York City, Ms. Burns presented the donation in front of 100 African American female leaders, including former senior White House advisor Valerie Jarrett, former Essence magazine Editor-in-Chief Susan L. Taylor, and more.

Burns, who retired from Xerox in 2017, told the esteemed audience, “The HistoryMakers has been at the forefront of recording the history of African Americans for many years. We must continue to support their efforts and help provide the resources to ensure that the legacy of black women is preserved and presented with truth, honor, and integrity.”