Ownership Is the New Black Is Back!
Last year, The Clapham Group joined efforts with Grammy Award-winning artist, producer, and Nashville native, Derek Minor, to launch Ownership is the New Black, an initiative that works to close the racial wealth gap by uplifting and amplifying stories that promote Black ownership as a lifestyle. (You may remember this blog post talking about the initiative). Derek explains his inspiration this way: “The idea for Ownership is the New Black came from the realization that while music can bring awareness to problems, it doesn’t always solve them. I believe that when people work, they should own their work – and that’s something everyone can agree on. This initiative aims to address the racial wealth gap, which is a significant issue. We’re exploring ways to help Black people overcome barriers to building wealth.”
We have a two-fold approach to achieving this vision: we create spaces where Black artists and community leaders can explore their own stories of ownership and learn how to advocate for policies that close the racial wealth gap, and we share the stories of Black owners through dynamic content on social media (and soon to come in a docu-series). Through a holistic approach, we celebrate Black owners, educate aspiring owners, and activate a community of diverse stakeholders working to close the racial wealth gap. We believe that seeing the gap decrease in our lifetime will require all of us working together and bringing our skills, connections, and resources to the table.
This is the essence of Ownership is the New Black. And we bring it all together at our annual event in Washington D.C. This year’s event will include the premiere of the first episode of our We Own Now docu-series. The showing will be featured in between panel conversations with A.I. the Anomaly, a creator and activist from Buffalo, NY; Stephanie Summers, CEO of the Center for Public Justice; Branden Polk from Stand Together, Timothy Welbeck, professor at Temple University, and others. The event will close with performances from A.I. the Anomaly and Grammy-award-winning artist and our founder, Derek Minor.
Keep reading for more on our work with artists and policymakers!
At the White House with Melissa Rogers and other staff from The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in 2022
Last year, we hosted our first-ever in-person Washington D.C. experience: a convening of artists, music creators, and community leaders who are partnering with us in embodying and elevating Black ownership. The inaugural year's Impact Ambassadors included Propaganda, A.I. the Anomaly, Dee-1, Wande, Aaron Cole, Canon, Ritz McFly, Foggieraw, and nobigdyl.
On their first day in the Nation's capital, they visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture to provide a backdrop for America's racial history. The next day, we facilitated meetings with their Senate representatives to discuss policies that work to close the racial wealth gap, including the Credit Access and Inclusion Act and the American Opportunity Accounts Act. This empowered artists with language to talk about policy impact in their own communities and gave them access to the people who write and enact that policy. A visit to the White House provided an opportunity to learn about the resources that are available through federal funding and pathways to access funding for small businesses. Throughout their visits, the Impact Ambassadors were heard in settings that some of them didn’t even think were possible (watch the recap video below for some powerful anecdotes)!