Our History

As a college senior who was both qualified and enthusiastic about a career in Journalism, Gloria was deeply saddened when she was turned down for an internship opportunity on the discriminatory basis of her non-American accent.

She realized that the road to assimilating into the American westernized community and its culture would be a challenge for herself, a proud African woman, easily distinguished by her skin tone, and rich Nigerian accent.

As she contemplated on a response to this cultural barrier, Gloria thought of the implications this obstacle will have on African and Refugee youth whose cultural identity (language, learning trajectory) are profoundly patterned by their African heritage. It was for this reason, in 2015, Gloria embarked on establishing the non-profit organization, GK Folks Foundation.

The primary objective of this 501 (c) (3) organization is to empower African youth by providing them with invaluable tools and opportunities to successfully navigate cultural barriers. The Foundation empowers youth to triumph within the American culture and support their efforts to give back to Africa.

Thus far, the foundation has contributed to the progression of more that 200 young women and their communities. We have awarded over $50,000 in scholarship funds to women leaders in pursuit of a diverse range of educational, community development, and professional goals.