Black Economic Alliance

A year ago today, the Supreme Court issued its decision ending affirmative action in college admissions. The decision was and is part of an ongoing, concerted, well-resourced campaign to turn back the clock on economic opportunities for historically underrepresented communities.   From their origin, affirmative action programs in higher education were a small step toward acknowledging the systemic discrimination and disproportionate barriers to opportunity facing Black Americans. These programs forged a pathway to equal education and economic opportunity for the Black community. While the SCOTUS decision was limited in scope, the ruling intensified attacks on DEI and all race-conscious efforts to advance Black opportunity. We remain steadfast in the fight to keep the doors to opportunity open and achieve the promise upon which our country was founded. On this day, one year following the decision, BEA and our partners remain unshaken in our commitment to a nation where Black Americans and all Americans have the freedom to achieve, earn, and prosper. We move forward not just with hope, but with a plan to turn our collective aspirations into tangible action to expand Black economic opportunity. Today, we do not just look back—we push ahead with unwavering determination to secure the gains we have made and expand pathways to Black economic progress.

On Juneteenth, we celebrate and reflect on the message and promise of freedom – a message that arrived in Galveston, TX nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation and a promise that is still being realized. Black economic prosperity and full access to the American Dream are key to the promise of freedom.  BEA is committed to advancing Black work, wages, and wealth. By aligning efforts across business, policy, and social sectors we can reshape systems that have operated to exclude Black economic opportunity and bring us closer to achieving the full promise of freedom. Together we can create an America where freedom is not a message-delayed and economic opportunity and prosperity are available to all.

The Black Economic Alliance applauds President Biden for nominating CFTC Commissioner Kristin Johnson as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Institutions. It’s crucial for Black and underrepresented voices to be present in significant policy discussions and Johnson’s dynamic leadership, coupled with her expertise in complex policy and regulatory frameworks, is critical toward shaping a more equitable economy for Black Americans and for all. Read our full statement: https://lnkd.in/ebKUAGiw

Attention Atlanta STEM entrepreneurs! Applications are now open for the Center for Black Entrepreneurship Launch Incubator for Traction (CBE LIFT) program! The CBE, a partnership between the BEA Foundation, Morehouse College, and Spelman College, is thrilled to offer this unique opportunity for early to mid-stage STEM entrepreneurs in the Atlanta metro region. CBE LIFT offers comprehensive training, technical assistance, and access to vital capital providers at no cost to participants, making it an invaluable resource for Black-led, Atlanta-area start-ups. We encourage Atlanta-based STEM entrepreneurs –– and especially those in the fields of life sciences, artificial intelligence, and machine learning –– to apply. Hurry! Applications are due this Friday, June 7th. Apply today at https://lnkd.in/eYNvCmHv.

This week, the BEA Foundation unveiled the Architecture for Action – a first-of-its-kind, data-backed suite of solutions designed to help leaders in the private and philanthropic sectors take meaningful actions to advance Black economic opportunity and prosperity. “To achieve our north star of economic opportunity and prosperity across the Black community, we must reshape the systems that make up our economic infrastructure through efforts that are cross-sectoral, comprehensive, and grounded in the lived experience of Black people,” said Black Economic Alliance CEO Samantha Tweedy. Envisioned as a navigational tool for leaders in the private and philanthropic sectors, the Architecture for Action identifies a series of proven solutions across the interconnected markets and systems of our economy that impact Black economic advancement by drawing upon extensive research, surveying, and input from leading experts. These solutions are identified for their proven success in providing achievable and transformative outcomes toward improving Black prosperity. To get your copy of the Architecture for Action, please visit https://lnkd.in/ekpTiwT5.

BEA CEO Samantha Tweedy and VP Kamala Harris spoke about their shared excitement for the Biden-Harris Administration’s Economic Opportunity for All Tour at its first stop in Atlanta. The Economic Opportunity for All Tour is highlighting the historic investments the Administration has made in expanding Black economic opportunity -- such as:  -Fostering the lowest Black unemployment rate on record -Creating 2.6M jobs for Black workers -Supporting the fastest rate of Black-owned business creation in more than 30 years. It is also raising awareness of programs connected to those investments that help Black Americans buy a home, start a business, or pay down their student debt. The focus of the Economic Opportunity Tour aligns directly with the findings of BEA’s polling, which found that offering solutions around economic issues - increasing access to affordable housing, creating jobs and developing the workforce, and promoting entrepreneurship - is critical for elected leaders to earn Black support. The Black Economic Alliance will continue working with all policymakers committed to advancing Black work, wages, and wealth -- and we hope this tour drives a conversation about how to do just that. 

"BEA has a uniquely powerful mandate to expand Black economic power and prosperity… I understand first-hand the inextricable link between Black economic advancement and the growth of the entire American economy." - Roz Brewer BEA is strong in large part because of the strength of our board of directors. Their wisdom, commitment, and vision for Black America are unmatched. Today we have the distinct honor of adding one of corporate America’s trailblazers to our leadership. Rosalind “Roz” Brewer has spent her career breaking down barriers to Black economic advancement, championing BEA’s priorities of advancing Black work, wages, and wealth at some of the world’s most influential companies. Brewer brings a wealth of expertise in business leadership to the Board. Brewer joins 12 current board members, Tony Coles, M.D., Co-Chair, Black Economic Alliance Board & Executive Chairman, Cerevel Therapeutics; Charles Phillips, Co-Chair, Black Economic Alliance Board & Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Recognize; Tia Breakley, Chief Strategic Development Officer & Chief Governance Officer, Blue Meridian Partners; Robyn Coles, President, TRATE Properties; Richelieu Dennis, Founder, Sundial Brands; Founder/Chair, Essence Ventures; Founder, New Voices Fund & New Voices Foundation; Founder/Chair, Social Mission Board; Broderick Johnson, Executive Vice President, Public Policy & Executive Vice President, Digital Equity, Comcast Corporation; Mattie McFadden-Lawson, Civic Leader, Activist, and Philanthropist; Vicki Palmer, President, The Palmer Group LLC; Deval Patrick, Professor of Practice and Co-Director of Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School; Founder & Chair, TogetherFUND; Benaree Pratt Wiley, Principal, The Wiley Group; and Kneeland Youngblood, Founding Partner and Chairman, Pharos Capital Group. Please join us in welcoming Roz Brewer to our Board of Directors! https://lnkd.in/ecRpQST6

“A more equitable America is long overdue” and our CEO, Samantha Tweedy,  is leading the way. In “Unfinished Business” by The Atlantic, Samantha addresses the unfinished business of dismantling the root causes of inequities and the need for leaders with expertise across sectors. Read how BEA is bringing the private, public, and social sectors together to advance work, wages, and wealth for Black Americans - and grow the entire economy. https://lnkd.in/gVzUh2Nw

This week, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford and Senator Laphonza Butler unveiled concurrent resolutions calling for Congress to support the Black Wealth for America Agenda. The resolutions are grounded in the BEA Foundation’s recently-released Policy Agenda to Advance Black Work, Wages and Wealth and begin advancing the agenda from roadmap to reality. Read our agenda here: https://lnkd.in/dYW79TVE This marks a critical step in moving the economic prosperity and wealth-building of Black Americans to the forefront of our nation’s agenda. We look forward to working with Congressman Horsford and Senator Butler to find every opportunity to move this agenda forward.

Since day one, we have worked with the Biden Administration to shape federal policies, personnel, and programs to advance Black work, wages, and wealth. President Biden’s State of the Union Address focused on many leading solutions for growing Black economic prosperity and closing the racial wealth gap, including: ✅ Expanding access to affordable housing and  good-paying jobs ✅ Supporting new and small businesses ✅ Restoring the expanded child tax credit ✅ Full participation in our democracy We applaud President Biden for outlining these crucial steps. As do voters across the nation who our research shows support elected leaders who take action on these issues. Yet, there is much more work to do. BEA Foundation’s recently released Policy Agenda to Advance Black Work, Wages, and Wealth contains actionable policy solutions that tackle many of those challenges. We look forward to continued work with the Biden administration to expand economic opportunity for the Black community.