The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey will recognize five organizations for the work they do to promote equal economic opportunity and advance diversity in New Jersey, at an event Wednesday night at the Pines Manor in Edison.
Those to be honored include:
- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce;
- Friday is Tie Day;
- The African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey;
- The Pascale Sykes Foundation;
- Jobs for America’s Graduates New Jersey.
The event also will feature student graduates of the Jobs for America’s Graduates New Jersey program and a keynote by Monique Nelson, chair and CEO of UWG, a multicultural advertising agency.
Attendees will meet the leaders from these activist organizations and will have the opportunity to network with business leaders from across New Jersey during the cocktail hour and dinner. (Register here.)
The event is the culmination of a series of “Equal Opportunity Receptions,” produced this fall by the state chamber and the African American Chamber to celebrate diversity and inspire change.
The two chambers are working together to address the economic inequities that exist for Black citizens and Black business owners in the state. They are focusing their efforts on strategies that disrupt the status quo and expand opportunity for historically marginalized communities, including communities of color.
AACCNJ CEO John Harmon said the event is more than just a gala.
“These events are not just celebrations, they are part of a mission,” he said. “New Jersey is already one of the most diverse states in the nation. The time is now to make it the most economically inclusive state in the nation. No issue is more important to New Jersey’s economic health than creating a system where economic opportunity is available for all.”
Tom Bracken, CEO of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, agreed.
“This is a rallying call,” he said. “We must demand an end to economic inequities in New Jersey. We will challenge businesses in every corner of the state to do their part to change the status quo.”
