Town Hall In NJ Focuses On Black Businesses, ‘Inequity’

NEWARK, NJ — The following article comes courtesy of Candace Waller, a Patch Newark community member. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was a special guest at the African American Chamber of Commerce New Jersey, (AACCNJ), town hall titled the State of DE&I in New Jersey at the APA Hotel in Woodbridge on Friday, August 4. This event focused on the promises businesses made to address economic disparities in the African American community after the George Floyd murder captivated the nation in 2020.

“I think if you help black businesses, you help all businesses,” said Baraka. “People have to understand that inequity is the problem here in the state and America. It is a problem that we have not been able to deal with. Once we deal with inequity then all of the other problems will be less severe. The problems of unemployment, poor education, violence, all these problems begin to dissipate once we address inequality.”

Baraka spoke on the recent Supreme Court decision to eliminate race in the college admission process and the impact that decision will have on marginalized communities.

“When the highest court of the land attacks Affirmative Action, what it is in essence saying is we don’t need to apply any policy, any law, any set aside, or any activity for African Americans in this country,” Baraka said. “What it is saying is inequality does not exist and because inequality doesn’t exist we don’t have to remedy it.”

The issues of inequality and the impact it has on Black businesses and communities brought together John Harmon, President, CEO, and Founder of the AACCNJ, the only accredited chamber in New Jersey and the only Black accredited chamber in the country, and Tom Bracken, President, and CEO of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce.

“Tom and I came together to try to figure out how we can make New Jersey the best state in the country,” said Harmon. “New Jersey is known as the most diverse state in the country. However, if you don’t leverage your strengths, you don’t get the returns.”

The AACCNJ and the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce under the direction of their leaders put together a plan and presented those plans to their respective boards that created an agreement to work together on a diversity initiative.

“When we kicked it off our diversity initiative in 2020, it was very well received and got a lot of momentum,” Bracken said. “We enlightened the state to the benefits of DE&I. It was going along very well, and then many hurdles jumped in the way. Covid, the recession, inflation, and the war slowed our momentum. Where we have hoped to be right now is a much higher place than where we are now. We’re here today to ignite the enthusiasm we had in DEI and find a path together and with you all giving us advice on how we should move forward faster.”

The diversity initiative plan Bracken and Harmon put together centers around four areas. They are more Blacks on corporate boards in the state; more contract opportunities for Black-owned businesses; more career opportunities; and corporate citizenship support in underrepresented communities.

“None of this is about charity,” Harmon said. “We want you to allow these men and women a level playing field to compete. It has been well-documented that through diversity, equity, and inclusion, we get better outcomes.”

Dr. Forest B. Soaries, moderator of the panel that included Jackie Taylor partner from EY (Ernst and Young), Ferlanda Nixon, Esq, Chief of Policy and External Affairs of the AACCNJ, and Dana M Peterson, Chief Economist, The Conference Board said that in helping black-owned business and black communities, often the most disadvantaged in the state, other marginalized groups also benefit.

“Let me explain to those who are uncomfortable with the focus on Black business and communities,” said Soaries, the former pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens and president and founder of dfree, a financial literacy program. “We learned in the last 50 years that when you fix a system that has depressed or denied black people, the repair of those systems helps everybody. We are like Tom said, the most diverse state in the country. If we can’t figure it out for the group whose numbers are the worse, we will never master the art of being inclusive for everybody.”

Nixon gave a rundown of where Black people stand economically in the state. Despite having a $57 billion spending power, Black people in New Jersey have a net wealth of $3,200 compared to $315,000 for whites. The overall unemployment rate in the state is 3.5% however Black people have almost double that with 6.8%.

“We all know that what gets measured is what gets managed,” Nixon said, adding that the state needs to have updated reports on how women and minority-owned businesses are doing. “We don’t have anything that shows the numbers with respect to minority-owned businesses. The Disparity study is for minority and small businesses and not just for Black-owned businesses. What is important to know is that the state isn’t going to do anything to help us until we get the study.”

The Disparity Study has yet to be published with organizations looking for its release so they can develop programs to improve diversity.

“One of the big agenda items that remain undone in our state is the Disparity Study. When Governor Murphy came into office he touted this as one of his agenda items and yet it has not been done,” Harmon said. “If you don’t have a policy, you can’t advance for the betterment of the people. New York State put forth its Disparity study and set forth goals. My word to Lt Governor Sheila Oliver who has passed away is the African American Chamber of Commerce is going to continue to press to see we set up goals in NJ. We need something to incentivize inclusion.”

Several tributes were given during the event to Oliver, the first African American to serve as Lieutenant Governor in New Jersey.

“Sheila was the best example of the benefits of expanding diversity in our state,” Bracken said. “She was a person who committed herself to the state of NJ and who gave in a way very few people have given. People, businesses, and the government, all benefited from what Sheila brought to the table. Sheila Oliver was the epitome of the diversity initiative we are trying to bring to this state. I’m going to miss her as a friend.”

Harmon said the AACCNJ and the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce will continue to work together on policies to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion with plans to have another town hall meeting next year. To learn more about the African American Chamber of Commerce visit their website, aaccnj.com.

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