A group of African American business owners in Nashville have launched the Young, Gifted and Black (YGB) Political Action Committee to foster economic empowerment and political engagement for the area’s Black families.
“Everything about us, especially as Black people, is attached to a policy,” said Carlos Partee, one of 10 founding members of YGB. Partee is also founder of Nashville Black Market, which supports Black-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs. “It’s crucial that we have a seat at the table where the decisions that will impact our lives for generations to come are made. We saw no seats, so we built our own table.”
Goals for the new organization are geared toward community civic engagement through intergenerational leadership and towards building collective Black wealth and civic power in Nashville’s Black entrepreneurial community.
In addition to Partee, founders include entertainment executive and restaurateur Gerald Onuoho, MD, founder of Everybody vs. Racism; Danielle McGee, CEO, Black Business Boom; community leader Calvin Bryant; Robert Higgins, Jr., Monchiere’ Holmes-Jones, CEO, MOJO Marketing + PR; Tequila Johnson, CEO of The Equity Alliance; Quawn Clark and Joshua Mundy of Pivot Technology; and Contrecia Tharp, Ed.D, CEO of Faye Vaughn Creative.
The PAC’s launch and emphasis on civic participation comes just over one week before the runoff election for Nashville mayor and some Metro Council seats. e
The Young, Gifted, and Black PAC will hold an inaugural reception on Sept. 6, 2023, from 6-8 PM at Minerva Avenue Craft and Cocktail Bar, 1002 Buchanan Ave., Nashville, 37207, to provide information about group initiatives. The name of the PAC is drawn from the 1969 Nina Simone song, “To Be Young, Gifted and Black,” which became an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement.