Our team

The Foundation was established by Rubin Cuffee and Valerie C. Cuffee, a husband-and-wife team with a combined 80+ years of professional experience in corporate leadership, social work, education, church ministry, and community development.

The Foundation's work is grounded in the conviction that African American contributions to American history, culture, and civic life are underrepresented in mainstream media and education, and that this gap has measurable consequences for how African American young people see themselves and what they believe is possible for their lives.

Rubin Cuffee

Co-Founder / CEO

Our Foundation is guided by Ubuntu, an African philosophy meaning "I am because we are." It holds that our lives and humanity are bound together, and that community, empathy, and collective progress matter more than strict individualism. This principle shapes every cause we support and every community we serve.