2023 Annual Report

Read our letter from Paul N.D. Thornell, Chair, Board of Governors, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies below.

Dear Supporters:

I was honored and thrilled to be chosen to serve as board chair for the Joint Center two years ago and have taken immense pride carrying forward these duties to advance the mission of the organization. There is a distinct role the Joint Center plays in serving as the voice for Black communities on economic matters, workforce and technology policies, and congressional and executive branch personnel diversity. All of these issues are front and center in the 2023 version of America. The Joint Center’s collective work today — the board, staff, funders, partners — is invigorating, necessary, and affecting positive change. All taking place while experiencing a year of transition and addressing the near-term and long-term needs of the organization.

Words of Gratitude

A core element of this chapter in the Joint Center’s history has been the leadership of Spencer Overton, our former president, and Barbara Johnson, our longtime past board chair. Put simply, the organization would not exist today without the decisive action they took to save it some years ago in its darkest financial times. Spencer stepped down June 30, 2023 to return to teaching and research. He provided critical support during this period of transition. His commitment to the organization, selfless pursuit of excellence for its mission, and wonderful disposition are exemplary for any leader. His persistence, humility, and creativity at its nadir truly distinguish him. Barbara stepped down as board chair in 2022. She devoted over 10 years to the organization and did so with grace, passion, a sense of history, and true devotion. I’m appreciative of her partnership and guidance as she assisted me in my first year as chair. I’m so grateful for all that Spencer and Barbara have done to not just help the Joint Center survive, but to ensure its long-term sustainability. They laid the groundwork for the Joint Center 2.0, maintaining the core principles that have been foundational for 54 years and also resetting its direction, program work, and operations to adapt and thrive. I join the entire board and staff in saluting both. We honored Spencer at a celebration of his leadership hosted by Board Member Chanelle Hardy at Google’s offices, and recognized Barbara at our 2023 Future of Black Communities Summit.

Season of Transition

Moving forward from two amazing stewards of our mission work has required renewed collaboration among the board, staff, and our core supporters. The board formed a search committee, representing a diverse array of Joint Center stakeholders, to select the next president and appointed Jessica Fulton as interim president upon Spencer’s departure. The search committee undertook a difficult task and approached the responsibility in a thorough and discerning manner until we found our next great leader — Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, who the board appointed March 11, 2024. There was no more important task for the organization. I’m thankful for Jessica’s professionalism in stepping into this role and the tremendous support of the board and Joint Center staff.

Moving Forward

While the current staff is doing more with less, the Joint Center’s chief assets — content and convening — continue to be recognized by policymakers, peer organizations, media, investors, and community leaders as top quality and essential to the policy and political debates of the day. In this season of change, the board has renewed its commitment to multi-dimensional engagement. We have adopted new practices and procedures enhancing governance and brought on new members to help us advance our mission with new voices and perspectives. Ashley Lewis, Brian Dixon, and Jean-Phillippe Austin joined us in 2023. In addition to Barbara, Dr. Dianne Pinderhughes, Robert Raben, and A. Scott Bolden — three other long-time shining lights on the Joint Center board — rotated off the board at the end of their terms in 2022 and 2023. With new board leaders, we will continue to collaborate with the staff with sound stewardship, raise organizational resources, and shape robust program work. The board and staff have seamlessly worked to sharpen operations internally and make our mark on big stages. We collectively cheered the recent confirmation of three Federal Reserve Board Governors after helping to deliver that historic moment. The push to advance the nomination and confirmation of Dr. Lisa D. Cook — the recipient of the Joint Center’s 2023 Louis E. Martin Great American Award — was especially notable as she is the first Black woman to serve on the Fed’s board. Such is the case with this example and others that much of the Joint Center’s work can be behind the scenes but still critical to catalyzing action and lasting change. There is a lot more to come as we continue to build and bolster our organization and affirm that we are “America’s Black think tank.” Join us.

– Paul N.D. Thornell Chair, Board of Governors Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies