CHARLESTON, S.C., June 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Energy has
pledged $2.5 million to support the
International African American Museum's (IAAM) design and
construction. As one of the largest single donations to a nonprofit
cause in the company's history, it reflects Dominion Energy's
commitment to the people of South
Carolina.
In addition to the $2.5 million
donation, Dominion Energy has pledged $25,000 to provide 1,000 charter memberships to
the museum for individuals and families served by the Charleston
Promise Neighborhood, which provides educational programming to
underserved students. These charter memberships will ensure access
to the museum for residents that have traditionally encountered
barriers to educational opportunities.
"We are fortunate to have Dominion Energy as a leader here in
Charleston and across South Carolina," said Joseph P. Riley, Jr., IAAM board member and
former Charleston mayor. "Dominion
Energy is holding true to its promise to expand meaningful
corporate giving by providing substantial support to the museum
and, in turn, broadening critical access to educational
opportunities. Today, we thank Dominion Energy for helping to bring
the longtime dream of the International African American Museum
closer to reality."
Dominion Energy's leadership investment will be recognized in
the South Carolina: Power of Place
gallery. One of the museum's most hands-on, interactive galleries,
the exhibit will feature a Heritage Map, which is an interactive
multimedia table featuring a large-scale map of South Carolina. Visitors can use the
touchscreen installation to engage with the state's history through
highlighted people, events, sites, themes and landscapes –
illustrating the power of place and of African American
experiences.
Rodney Blevins, president and CEO
of Dominion Energy's Cayce-based
Southeast Energy Group, said, "Education is one of Dominion
Energy's core focus areas, and we are excited that the
International African American Museum will provide invaluable
learning opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds. We
are pleased to support this uniquely rich learning and cultural
environment that features technology-driven, engaging experiences
that can be enjoyed by many here locally as well as visitors from
across the country and around the world."
Michael Boulware Moore, IAAM
president and CEO, said Dominion Energy's $2.5 million leadership investment will give
museum visitors a chance to examine African American history and
culture through the lens of South
Carolina.
"The South Carolina: Power of
Place gallery is a prime example of the way that we can make
history more personal, relatable and accessible by using regional
stories to represent national and international narratives," Moore
said. "South Carolina featured a
Black population majority by the early 1700s, and the influence of
African Americans and their ancestors remains ubiquitous and robust
in the state. That is what makes South
Carolina's past so rich and representative of African
American history."
Dominion Energy Chairman, President and CEO Thomas F. Farrell, II, said, "Our partnership
with the International African American Museum illustrates Dominion
Energy's continued commitment to invest in philanthropic programs
that foster an appreciation of cultural diversity and contribute to
the vitality of the communities we serve. We look forward to
sustaining our support of South
Carolina through charitable giving and economic development
as we provide safe, reliable energy with excellent customer service
for years to come."
About the IAAM
Nearly half of all enslaved Africans forced to America through
the Transatlantic Slave Trade arrived in Charleston, and the vast majority disembarked
at Gadsden's Wharf, the future
home of the International African American Museum (IAAM) and one of
the most significant and sacred sites of the African American
experience in the Western hemisphere. The IAAM, a museum, memorial
and site of conscience, will present unvarnished history and
culture, commemorate and celebrate the foundational role that
Africans and their descendants played in the making of America, and
highlight their diasporic connections around the world. It will
include immersive, interactive exhibits engaging to all ages and
feature the Center for Family History, a leading genealogy archive
that will help visitors identify their individual threads in the
complex tapestry of history.
About Dominion Energy
Nearly 7.5 million customers in 18 states energize their homes
and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy
(NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va. The company is
committed to sustainable, reliable, affordable and safe energy and
is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy
with about $100 billion of assets providing electric
generation, transmission and distribution, as well as natural gas
storage, transmission, distribution and import/export services. The
company expects to cut generating fleet carbon dioxide emissions 80
percent by 2050 and reduce methane emissions from its gas assets 50
percent by 2030. Please visit www.DominionEnergy.com to
learn more. Through its Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, as
well as EnergyShare and other programs, Dominion Energy
contributed more than $30 million in
2018 to community causes throughout its footprint and beyond.
Please visit www.DominionEnergy.com to learn more.
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SOURCE Dominion Energy