Google.org Pledges $1 Million in Support of Stonewall National Monument Experience
NEW YORK – Senator Charles Schumer and Congressman Jerrold Nadler announced today that Google.org has granted $1 million to support the preservation and dissemination of LGBTQ history through the development of the Stonewall National Monument experience. New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, in partnership with the National Park Foundation (NPF), the official charitable partner of the National Park Service (NPS), will use the funds to seek out and document robust, diverse narratives of the Stonewall Uprising and transform the reach of the national park beyond a physical place. The result will be a digital experience that broadly shares the story of LGBTQ civil rights, firmly establishing LGBTQ history in the fabric of American history.
"This announcement sends an unmistakable message to Washington: that the America we know celebrates and cherishes its diversity; it doesn’t hide from it or fear it. Google's $1 million grant to New York City’s LGBT Community Center will support the preservation and dissemination of LGBTQ history. With this money, they will translate the legacy of Stonewall from a physical landmark into a digital experience, so that the lessons of its history can reach tens of millions of people across the nation, and across the globe. Google’s generous pledge could not come at a more vital time. With federal funding under assault, Google’s investment will be a shot in the arm for The Center and its work to better the LGBTQ community," said U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer.
“Over the past two years since I and key partners started the effort to create the Stonewall National Monument, I have been overwhelmed with the response we have seen, locally, nationally, and even internationally. I am deeply grateful to Google.org for providing the funding and expertise to ensure that future generations are able to access this vital part of the American story. The LGBT Community Center is an ideal place to lead the effort to capture, preserve and share the history of the spark of the modern LGBT civil rights movement, in partnership with the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation,” said Congressman Jerrold Nadler.
“The Stonewall National Monument is a testament to the brave people whose actions that night sparked the beginning of the modern LGBTQ civil rights movement,” said Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Alphabet, the parent company of Google. “With our donation, my hope is we can capture and preserve their stories and, through technology, share them with the world to inspire all those who continue to strive for human rights."
"The inspirational funding that Google is providing to The LGBT Community Center will lift up LGBTQ history on a global platform, further magnifying the Stonewall Uprising's place in the overall story of the LGBTQ civil rights movement," said Glennda Testone, Executive Director of The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. "This partnership with Google and the National Park Foundation allows us to amplify LGBTQ stories from Stonewall to today and share them in a broadly accessible way that transcends place and time, giving everyone a little piece of the Stonewall National Monument experience."
“The national parks community is grateful for Google’s support to develop education programs for NYC students—and eventually students worldwide—that focus on the important issues of equality, human rights, civil rights, and more,” said National Park Foundation President Will Shafroth. “Google’s grant contributes to the attainment of the Foundation’s $2 million goal needed to effectively launch Stonewall National Monument.”
With Google’s expertise and guidance, The Center will work to use technology in new ways to reach the LGBTQ community round the world, ultimately creating an innovative experience centered at the park. Thanks to Google and NPF, NPS will develop an educational curriculum for students and teachers that amplifies LGBTQ voices and engages new generations in the Stonewall story in New York City, across the country, and abroad. The result will be an intentional connection of the Stonewall Uprising to the broader civil rights movement in US history.
The projected timeline for completion is scheduled to coincide with the celebration of the Stonewall Uprising’s 50th Anniversary in June 2019, when World Pride will be held in New York City.
ABOUT STONEWALL NATIONAL MONUMENT
Stonewall National Monument honors an important chapter in the country’s civil rights journey—reflecting the diversity of the American experience and the array of historical sites stewarded by the National Park Service. The events of June 28, 1969, at The Stonewall Inn, located in Greenwich Village in New York City, marked a significant turning point in the fight for LGBTQ rights. At this site, police conducted a raid that had become routine at gay bars, often resulting in harassment and arrests. Unlike previous raids, the crowds held their ground in demanding civil rights and refused to disperse. The protest, which expanded to neighboring streets and into nearby Christopher Park, grew to several thousand people and lasted for six days. Within two years, the uprising inspired citizens across the country to form LGBTQ rights groups in almost every major city. Today, The Stonewall Inn is recognized as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service. Designated on June 24, 2016, Stonewall National Monument, located in Christopher Park and part of New York City’s Historic Greenwich Village, sits across the street from The Stonewall Inn and is open to the public. It is one of 417 units of the National Park System.
ABOUT GOOGLE.ORG
Since 2005, Google.org has worked to extend the reach of nonprofit innovators and connect them with a unique blend of support that includes funding, tools, and volunteers from around Google. Each year, Google.org gives $100 million in grants and over 250,000 Google volunteer hours to organizations who have made the biggest impact on the communities they represent, and whose work has the potential to produce meaningful change that can scale. In coordination with Google’s broader social impact efforts, Google.org is specifically focused on nonprofits working on increasing access to a quality education, expanding economic opportunity and — as the Equal Justice Initiative is doing — creating a more inclusive society.
ABOUT THE CENTER
Established in 1983, New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center empowers people to lead healthy, successful lives. The Center celebrates diversity and advocates for justice and opportunity. Each year, The Center welcomes more than 300,000 visits to our building in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan from people who engage in our life-changing and life-saving activities. To learn more about our work, please visit gaycenter.org.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and INSPIRE the next generation of park stewards. In 2016, commemorating the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary, the Foundation launched The Centennial Campaign for America’s National Parks, a comprehensive fundraising campaign to strengthen and enhance the future of these national treasures for the next hundred years. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org.