Joint Center Experts at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference

Joint Center President Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, Technology Policy Director Danielle Davis, Esq., Senior Fellow Jessica Fulton, and Fellow Eric Morrissette will be participating in several sessions during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference. See the full list below:

Tuesday, September 23

3:00 – 5:30 PM | Black Gov Tech’s Inaugural Tech Policy Summit (ticketed event) | International Square (1850 K Street NW)

Danielle Davis, Director of Technology Policy, will moderate the “AI and the Impact of Technology on US Communities” panel discussing how AI and emerging technologies are reshaping opportunity, access, and equity for Black communities. Speakers include Virginia Delegate Michelle Lopes Maldonado; Tatiana Rice, Senior Director of U.S Legislation at the Future of Privacy Forum; Cedric Haynes, Vice President of Policy and Legislative Affairs at NAACP; and Dominque Carter, Principal at Lewis-Burke Associates.

Wednesday, September 24

1:00 – 2:00 PM | Shaping Our Future: AI Literacy and Empowering Opportunity | Room 144A (Walter E. Washington Convention Center)

Danielle Davis, Director of Technology Policy, is speaking on a panel that will explore how AI literacy can deepen equity, foster ethical innovation, and open pathways to opportunity in the evolving tech economy. Additional speakers include Representative Gabe Amo; Frank Torres, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Fred Humphres, Microsoft; Chris Lewis, Public Knowledge; James Hairston, OpenAI; Jasmine Hudson, Black Owned NWA.

2:00 – 3:00 PM | Forward Together: The Black Policy Playbook for an Equitable America | Ballroom C (Walter E. Washington Convention Center)

Jessica Fulton, Senior Fellow, is speaking on a panel featuring our Black Policy Playbook report, co-authored with CBCF.  During this session, panelists will discuss The Playbook, highlight its importance and relevance in this moment, and outline how it can be utilized to move forward in unity and purpose to improve life for Black communities and better realize a truly equitable America.  Additional speakers include Andre Perry, Brookings Institution; Vincent Evans, Congressional Black Caucus; Ebonie Riley, National Action Network; Demetria McCain, NAACP Legal Defense Fund; Damon Hewitt, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; and Jonathon Cox, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

Thursday, September 25

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM | The Hamilton Live (600 14^th Street NW) | CBC Small Business Power Luncheon: Building Business Futures

Eric Morrisette, Fellow, will moderate the “Trade, Tariffs & Equity: Leveling the Playing Field for Black Businesses” panel examining how trade policies, tariffs, and global economic shifts shape opportunities for Black-owned businesses. Additional speakers include Arun Venkataraman, Senate-confirmed Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service at the International Trade Administration (ITA) from 2022-2025; Jamila Thompson, former Chief of Staff & Senior Advisor U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), former Senior Official, International Trade Administration (ITA); and Ryan Wilson, CEO and Co-Founder of The Gathering Spot. This special luncheon will convene more than 300 entrepreneurs, elected officials, policy leaders, and business advocates. This event is hosted by the Joint Center and our partners, the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) and the African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs.

2:00 – 3:00 PM | AI, the Future, and What it Means for Our Communities | Room 145B (Walter E. Washington Convention Center)

Danielle Davis, Director of Technology Policy, is participating in a fireside chat exploring how AI is reshaping industries, creating new opportunities, and disrupting traditional labor markets with a focus on impacts for communities of color. Additional speakers include Athina Kanioura, PepsiCo; Deriece Harrington, PepsiCo; Oma Seddiq, Bloomberg; and Representative Glenn Ivey (MD-4).

Friday, September 26

10:00 – 11:30 AM | PCEO Closing Racial Wealth Gap Subcommittee ALC Presentation |Room 206 (Walter E. Washington Convention Center)

Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, President, will provide opening and closing remarks on the subcommittee’s racial wealth gap work against the backdrop of DEI rollbacks and economic instability. Additional speakers include Marshawn Wolley, Black Onyx Management; Nikitra Bailey, National Fair Housing Alliance; and Victoria Kirby York, National Black Justice Coalition.

3:00 – 4:00 PM | The Future of Work: Opportunities and Challenges for Black Workers in the Age of AI | Room 206 (Walter E. Washington Convention Center)

Danielle Davis, Director of Technology Policy, will moderate a dynamic panel exploring challenges and opportunities AI presents for Black workers, including occupational segregation, AI bias in employment, access to tech education, and highlighting the Joint Center’s Black Policy Playbook. Additional speakers include Tyrance Billingsley, Black Tech Street; Dr. Nicol Turner Lee, Brookings Institution; Darrell Booker, Seven and Grace; Ijeoma Mbamal, ACLU; and Jonathan Cox, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

Saturday, September 27

11:00 AM – 1:30 PM | Brunch & Exhibition Honoring 55 Years of the Joint Center

The Joint Center’s 55^th anniversary event is a celebration gathering with a curated exhibit and distinguished panelists exploring the Joint Center’s history, the evolution of public policy institutions, and the future of equitable, evidence-based leadership. Fireside chat speakers Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, President of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies; Jotaka Eaddy, Founder & CEO of Full Circle Strategies, and Founder of Win With Black Women; Juan Williams, author and journalist; and Shavon Arline-Bradley, President & CEO of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). This event is invite-only.