Joint Center Hosts Webinar on Improving Policy Narratives for Young Black Workers

The Joint Center hosted a webinar where we shared findings from our research and focus groups on “Improving Policy Narratives for Young Black Workers.” This discussion provided an overview of how the audience can use updated narratives to help young Black people entering — or navigating — the workforce thrive.

Guided by the Joint Center’s Black Youth Worker Task Force, the Joint Center and Change Communications conducted focus groups of young Black workers who shared experiences about how they are perceived at work, how they make decisions about how to present themselves at work, and whether common media narratives about young Black workers rang true for them. This research led to the development of new narratives to help engage young Black workers in labor market discussions.

By employing these new narratives to drive policy debates, stakeholders can help transform the necessary systems and policies to help young Black workers.

Speakers include:

• Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, President, Joint Center
• Dr. Kayla Elliott, Director, Workforce Policy, Joint Center
• Justin Nalley, Senior Policy Analyst, Workforce Policy, Joint Center
• Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA)
• Morgan Mitchell, law student, Black Youth Worker Task Force Member
• Evan Wayne Malbrough, full-time employee in education, advocacy, and policy, Black Youth Worker Task Force Member
• Wisdom Cole, Director of the Youth & College Division, NAACP
• Satra Taylor, Director of Higher Education and Workforce, Young Invincibles

Watch the conversation here: