PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — October is Black Professionals Month, but one CEO believes equity and inclusion are still needed in corporate America.
"Black Professionals Month is really about helping Black professionals to step up, stand out and break through into higher roles of leadership," said Jerome Hutchinson, the founder of the Black Professionals Month online series.
"To gather and create connections, collaborations for a trusted online community of Black professionals worldwide."
He said Philly is an integral city within the Black networking ecosystem.
"Philly is one of the leading cities in us relating to Black population and corporate headquarters, and the connection to other Blacks in major cities around the country is critical that we make those connections," he said.
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"Cities like Philadelphia, the connection to black professionals around the country, New York & Chicago, will increase our ability to generate wealth."
Hutchinson added that the wealth gap between whites and Blacks is still growing despite efforts to narrow it, so connecting around the world as Black professionals is key to success.
"We can do a better job of supporting each other, lifting each other up and creating value for who we see and what we represent, and what we bring to the table," said Hutchinson.
"Despite all the efforts whether affirmative action, diversity and equity & inclusion efforts, we still languish far behind where we should be."
According to the African-American Chamber of Commerce, only 2.5% of businesses in Philadelphia are Black-owned despite a 44% Black population.
The BPM event will be held online October 30th showcasing 100 leading Black professionals, Black organizations and celebrate Black achievements.
