The nation”™s two oldest Black trade associations, the Booker T. Washington-founded National Business League and the National Black Chamber of Commerce, have merged to become the National Alliance for Black Business (NABB).
The new organization defined its mission as “a nonprofit, nonpartisan, independent federation of Black business organizations and allies mobilized as a unified authority to represent, research, educate, promote, and advocate for Black business equity throughout the United States and the Pan-African diaspora.”
The NABB also announced the launch of the Black Business Equity and Inclusion (BBEI) Score Card, which is designed to ensure accountability by the public and private sector in providing equitable opportunities for Black businesses. The Black Business Equity and Inclusion Score Card will be released at the February 2023 NABB National State of Black Business Conference in Washington, D.C., during Black History Month.
Photo: The founding ceremony to announce the NABB. From left: Larry Ivory, chairman of the National Black Chamber of Commerce; Charles H. DeBow III, president/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce; Dr. Ken L. Harris, president/CEO of The National Business League; Eugene R. Cornelius, Jr., senior director, Center for Regional Economics, Milken Institute; Johnny L. Ford, founder of World Conference of Mayors.
