June 1, 2021
We want to serve as a resource. To keep you abreast of critical issues dominating the national discourse—including diversity, equity and inclusion; the digital divide; STEAM education; entrepreneurship and small business—we’re compiling timely news and information in one place because the first step to fixing a problem is understanding it.
T.D. Jakes Foundation in Action
Famed for iconic ad campaigns like Smokey the Bear and “Just Say No” to drugs, the nonprofit Ad Council is now tackling vaccine hesitancy, with a focus on reaching communities of color. To aid in its efforts, T.D. Jakes, Chairman of the T.D. Jakes Foundation, joined the group’s 21-member National Faith Steering Committee to help spread the word and bring an end to the pandemic. Read more in Newsweek.
Chairman T.D. Jakes recently headlined a diverse group of community leaders as part of a virtual panel entitled “Finishing the Race.” The inspiring conversation touched on the importance of vaccine education and what advocates can do to make communities of color healthier. Read more here.
Today, in the United States, there are approximately 2.6 million Black-owned businesses—a number that has risen by more than 30 percent in the past decade. Click here to visit the T.D. Jakes Foundation’s helpful resource guide to learn how to support Black-owned businesses.
Remembering the Tulsa Race Massacre
On Monday, May 31, President Biden issued a proclamation to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, declaring it a “Day of Remembrance.” Biden said he wanted Americans to reflect on “this solemn centennial,” the “deep roots of racial terror in our nation and recommit to the work of rooting out systemic racism across our country.” Read more in Axios.
In an informative and heart-wrenching series, The Wall Street Journal recently explored the legacy of the Tulsa Race Massacre and its economic reverberations, piecing together a story of both resilience and loss.
Addressing the Digital Divide
Yahoo Finance writes that Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai believes the digital divide is “easier to bridge than most people think.” According to Pichai, a six-, nine-, or 12-month course in digital skills “can have a profound impact on a person’s career.”
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
In an era where companies are paying more and more attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), inclusion remains the most difficult metric to track. Based on new research, Gartner developed the Gartner Inclusion Index to measure what true inclusion looks like across an organization. Read more about the index here.
President Joe Biden will announce steps this week to narrow the large and persistent racial wealth gap that divides Black, Latino and white Americans. He plans to call for billions of dollars in grants and investments to benefit poor minority communities, as well as a big increase in federal procurement from small, disadvantaged businesses, and a crackdown on housing discrimination.
Voting Rights
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he intends to withhold paychecks to state lawmakers after House Democrats staged a walkout to block voting restrictions proposed by their Republican counterparts. A large group of Democrats walked out of the House chamber in Austin late Sunday, depriving Republicans of a quorum and preventing a final vote on the proposal, Senate Bill 7. The bill, which had appeared poised for passage, would cut back polling hours, reduce access to mail-in voting, and give more authority to partisan poll-watchers. Check out NPR for more.
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