BLACK ENTERPRISE To Present Town Hall Focused On Increasing Higher Education Access, Workforce Preparation And Affordability For Black Students

NEW YORK, Oct. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BLACK ENTERPRISE, the No. 1 multimedia resource for African American entrepreneurs and business leaders, presents the latest installment of the BLACK ENTERPRISE Economic Equity & Racial Justice Town Hall Series: "Education: Preparing the Next Generation for the 21^st Century Workforce." on Tuesday, October 12, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST. The virtual town hall series is produced in partnership with the Executive Leadership Council, the Host sponsor, and Walmart as Presenting sponsor for the Education Town Hall. CNN Political Commentator Bakari Sellers serves as moderator for the series.

Panelists for the Education Town Hall session include, Opportunity@Work Co-Founder and President Byron Auguste; Board Partner, Gradient Ventures, Vice President, Global Partnerships Executive in Residence Google LLC Bonita Stewart and Bennett College President Suzanne Walsh. Remarks will also be delivered by The Executive Leadership Council, President & CEO Michael Hyter, and BLACK ENTERPRISE CEO Earl "Butch" Graves Jr.

The Education Town Hall session will address complex issues confronting Generation Z as they plan for college and beyond. Panelists will offer analysis and commentary on how Black students can take advantage of educational and occupational opportunities as well as develop the skills and critical thinking necessary to join and succeed in today's workforce. 

Our expert panelists will highlight and discuss action plans that address the following issues:

• Preparing students for post-secondary education to get them career-ready
• Increasing the flow of Black students to HBCUs
• Making college affordable
• Effective, collaborative models between businesses and colleges, and universities
• Recruitment and retention of Black college graduates

Escalating college tuition, pathways to tech careers, and fluctuating HBCU enrollment are a few of the topics the group of experts will take on.

"Inequities in access to higher education on the front end, and the disproportionate student loan burden on Black families on the back end, are major contributors to the nation's racial wealth gap," says Graves. "Access to higher education is still a key to long-term earning power in the workplace. However, we must stop requiring young African Americans to mortgage their futures—while also facing racial discrimination in hiring and advancement—to get that degree."

"Education: Preparing the Next Generation for the 21^st Century Workforce" is the latest of a series of virtual roundtable sessions featuring top corporate executives, entrepreneurs, financial experts and thought leaders. The roundtable discussions will examine a range of challenges confronting communities of color, with the goal of yielding strategic plans to galvanize Black Americans to act. The sessions seek to advance the state of the Black community, help position Black professionals to gain more C-suite and board positions, increase capital and procurement opportunities for Black-owned businesses and ensure corporate America's accountability to their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

For complimentary registration and a complete schedule of the BLACK ENTERRPRISE Economic Equity & Racial Justice Town Hall Series, go to https://blackenterprise.com/townhall

About The Executive Leadership Council:
The Executive Leadership Council, an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 1986, is the preeminent membership organization committed to increasing the number of global black executives in C-Suites, on corporate boards and in global enterprises. Comprising 800 current and former black CEOs, senior executives and board directors at Fortune 1000 and Global 500 companies, and entrepreneurs at top-tier firms, its members work to build an inclusive business leadership pipeline that empowers global black leaders to make impactful contributions to the marketplace and the global communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.elcinfo.com.

BLACK ENTERPRISE is the No.1 Black media brand, with more than 8 million monthly unique visitors. Since 1970, BLACK ENTERPRISE has been the premier business, career, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. BLACK ENTERPRISE produces video and podcast programming, virtual and in-person business and lifestyle events, other digital media. Visit www.blackenterprise.com for more information.

SOURCE Black Enterprise

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