Ben Crump, CNN’s Bakari Sellers Among Speakers To Kick Off Black Enterprise Economic Equity & Racial Justice Town Hall Series June 10

BLACK ENTERPRISE, the No. 1 Black media brand reaching more than 8 million unique visitors per month and leading business resources for Black entrepreneurs and corporate executive, will kick off its Economic Equity & Racial Justice Town Hall Series: “Closing The Wealth Gap” on Thursday, June 10 from 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. as some of the nation’s leading business, political and civil right leaders review how Blacks can gain greater economic and financial empowerment.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers, Manulife Vice President of Talent Management Tara John, Black Executive CMO Alliance founder Jerri DeVard, and Infor Chairman and Black Economic Alliance Co-Chairman Charles Phillips will serve as the speakers for the session, “One Year After George Floyd: Has Corporate America Made Good On Its Economic Equity Pledges?”

Hosted by global insurer Manulife, the event is the first of seven such virtual roundtable discussions. Black Enterprise has also partnered with The Executive Leadership Council (ELC), the pre-eminent global organization focused on developing Black corporate C-suite and board leaders that serves as the Town Hall l series sponsor.

Remarks will also be delivered by Manulife President & CEO Roy Gori, Executive Leadership Council President & CEO Michael Hyter, and BLACK ENTERPRISE CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr.

Graves Jr. noted that many large corporations made diversity pledges last year amid the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, but it’s up to Blacks to hold corporate America accountable and ensure corporations keep their promises.

“Corporate pledges of commitment to diversity and inclusion are not new to Black people in corporate America,” Graves said. “However, if we are to achieve economic equity, we must hold corporate America accountable for making sure that the billions of dollars pledged during the past year in the name of ending systemic racism results in systemic change — including actual wealth creation — for Black people both inside and outside of their companies.”

The events and discussions in the series will look through a range of challenges affecting the Black community today and will seek to advance the state of the Black community, assist Black professionals in gaining more C-suite and board positions, increase capital and funding opportunities for Black-owned businesses and ensure corporate America continues to promote and push diversity and equity.

Complimentary registration and a complete schedule of the BLACK ENTERPRISE Economic Equity & Racial Justice Town Hall Series can be seen here.