The Wealth Agenda: Seizing the Moment for Black Economic Advancement
The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies hosted The Wealth Agenda: Seizing the Moment for Black Economic Advancement on Thursday, February 27, 2025, from 1-5:30 p.m. ET, at JLL, 2020 K Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20006.
This convening served as a platform to highlight critical issues and solutions at the intersection of economic mobility, tax reform, and green economy access, and will be a critical opportunity to bring together policymakers, experts, and advocates to develop actionable strategies for advancing Black economic mobility and wealth creation. Click here to see the program and fact sheet.
Opening Speaker:
Don Graves, Former Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service Fellow
Panel 1: The Green Opportunity Gap: Expanding Access for Black Economic Mobility
This panel explored how the green economy can foster pathways to Black economic mobility through equitable access to clean energy opportunities, green jobs, and entrepreneurship.
• Jason Grumet (Moderator), President, American Clean Power Association, and founder of the Bipartisan Policy Center, brings leadership and vision in advancing clean energy policy.
• Danielle Deane-Ryan, Senior Fellow, The New School Tishman Environment and Design Center, former Senior Advisor, Environmental Protection Agency Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, and a trailblazer who has led initiatives at the Bezos Earth Fund, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the Department of Energy under the Obama administration.
• Paula R. Glover, President of the Alliance to Save Energy and former President of the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE), is a leading voice in energy equity and policy.
• Carla Walker-Miller, CEO of Walker-Miller Energy Services, is a nationally recognized entrepreneur and advocate for clean energy and workforce development.
• Natalie Madeira Cofield, President & CEO of the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) and former Assistant Administrator at the U.S. Small Business Administration, has championed initiatives driving Black entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
Panel 2: Reimagining Tax Policy for Black Economic Justice
This panel addressed opportunities to advance equitable tax reforms, including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit (CTC), and other provisions set to expire under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).
• Dedrick Asante-Muhammad (Moderator): President, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
• Sharon Parrott, President of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, is a leading expert on federal and state budget policy.
• Portia Allen-Kyle, Interim Executive Director at Color of Change, is an advocate for racial justice and tax equity.
• Chye-Ching Huang, Executive Director of the NYU Tax Law Center, brings expertise in tax law and policy aimed at advancing fairness and equity.
• Emanuel Nieves, Director of Policy and Research Innovation at Liberation in a Generation, is a thought leader in advancing tax justice and budget equity.
Keynote Speaker:
Andre Perry, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Community Uplift at the Brookings Institution
Closing Speaker:
Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, President of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
