The Foundation was formed in June 1996 to carry on the vision of the late Secretary of Commerce, Ronald H. Brown.  Its three-fold mission includes: (1) the establishment of the Center for Politics and Commercial Diplomacy with a combination of international business and non-partisan political development; (2) a Minority Business Roundtable focusing on contemporary issues of domestic and global economic growth and political strength; and (3) the establishment of a Global Clearinghouse complementing the work of the Commerce Department.  This vision has been expanded to include fostering an outreach program with African nations.

In the eleven years since the formation of the Foundation, Ron Brown’s legacy has been kept alive by helping to create educational and entrepreneurial opportunities for young people and people of color around the world, including: the Ron Brown Scholars Program (CAP Foundation), the premier scholarship program for college-bound African-American students;  the Ron Brown Fellows Program, a prestigious internship program for college students; and the Ron Brown Institute, an economic development program for business professionals that is active in thirteen African countries.

New developments that we are proud to share with you include:

• The Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development at St. John’s University School of Law;
• The donation to the Library of Congress of some of Ron Brown’s official papers from his tenure as US Secretary of Commerce;
• Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana will be naming their business school after Ron Brown;
• North Carolina Central University has established the Ronald H. Brown Memorial Endowment Fund; and
• The new Washington, DC headquarters for the National Urban League will be named after Ron Brown.