On Nov. 1, the Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative held its inaugural policy luncheon and forum, Beloved Economies: Shaping Policy to Build Black Wealth, which gathered policymakers, scholars, and partners at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

The event served as a launch event for AWBI’s landmark report, Building A Beloved Economy – A Baseline and Framework for Building Black Wealth in Atlanta, which proposes a new framework for understanding and confronting the massive racial wealth divide and its impact on Black Atlantans.

The event kicked off with welcoming remarks by Nonet Sykes, Atlanta Beltline, Inc. Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer and AWBI Board Chair, and a keynote speech by Michelle Holder, John Jay College Associate Professor of Economics and Urban Institute One Million Black Women Research Partnership Scholar. 

Report co-authors Dr. Alex Camardelle, AWBI Vice President of Research and Policy, and Jarryd Bethea, AWBI Senior Research Associate, also shared key findings from their report in an in-depth presentation. 

In response to the report findings, a panel discussion was held with moderator Rose Scott, WABE’s Closer Look Executive Producer and Host and panelists Tamieka Atkins, ProGeorgia Executive Director, Dontá Council, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Research Adviser, Donte Miller, Village Micro Fund Co-Founder and President, and Hope Wollensack, The Gro Fund Founder and Executive Director. The panelists also discussed their own work in building Black wealth. 

AWBI Co-Founders Dr. Janelle Williams, who also serves as the organization’s CEO, and Tené Traylor shared closing remarks on the event.