The George Washington Carver Initiative is a nonstock corporation in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the corporation was formed on January 21, 2021. The George Washington Carver Initiative was conceived by Ms. Absia Bara. Ms. Bara learned of the George Washington Carver holiday and was astonished that it was barely known, particularly in the African-American community, especially since there was a great effort to create the National Holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The goal of the organization is to re-establish and resurrect the seventy-eight year old holiday which was enacted by the 79th Congress on December 28, 1945 through a joint resolution. We propose that it receives status through executive order by the president similar as was done for Juneteenth.
The initial board of directors has been installed and the first annual meeting has been conducted. The organization has 501c(3) tax exemption status from the Internal Revenue Service.
LEADERSHIP
President & CEO – Absia Bara, M.A.
Executive Director – Frank J. Thornton, M.Ed.
Nikki Harris
Justice Hicks
Derek Walker