On Thursday, June 16, 2022, the Chicago Urban League will host its annual SUMMIT, a convening of Chicago’s business and civic communities to discuss issues of importance to its mission of advancing social and economic equity. After two years of being held on a virtual platform due to the pandemic, SUMMIT is returning to an in-person format. The event, themed “Partnering to Close the Racial Wealth Gap,” will feature a keynote conversation with noted political commentator Melissa Harris-Perry.
SUMMIT 2022 will also commemorate Juneteenth, which became a federal holiday last year. Juneteenth, which celebrates the end of slavery for all Black Americans—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation—will be observed on Monday, June 20, this year. Observing the occasion during SUMMIT recognizes that the delay in Black emancipation is linked to the racial wealth gap and ongoing economic inequity.
SUMMIT will take place on Thursday, June 16, from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Chicago located at 151 E. Wacker, Chicago, IL. Tickets are $125 each, and proceeds will support the League’s work in helping people find jobs, secure affordable housing, enhance their educational opportunities, and grow their businesses.
“As a historic organization committed to fighting for justice and equity for Black people, we are keenly focused on initiatives and programming that will reduce the racial wealth gap. This is not simply an issue to advance Black families and our communities, it is an imperative for greater society,” said Chicago Urban League President and CEO Karen Freeman-Wilson.
The keynote conversation with Melissa Harris-Perry will explore the racial wealth gap in the context of Juneteenth and the political power of Black Americans in Chicago and nationally. Harris-Perry is the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University, founding director of the Anna Julia Cooper Center, Host of NPR’s “The Takeaway,” and author of Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America. The conversation will be facilitated by Melody Spann-Cooper, Chairman of Midway Broadcasting Corporation, whose properties include WVON Radio and VON-TV.
The keynote will be followed by a panel discussion focused on the roles that corporate, community and government entities can and should play in closing the racial wealth gap. iHeart Radio personality Darryl Dennard, host of Chicago Speaks, will moderate the discussion. Panelists include Chicago Community Trust CEO Helene Gayle, Landmark Development President Robert Dunn, and Founder of Bright Star Community Outreach Pastor Chris Harris.
“We are excited to welcome incredible speakers to SUMMIT, and we hope that each of our guests will be moved to think about our individual and organizations’ contributions to reducing the racial wealth gap,” Freeman-Wilson added.
SUMMIT 2022’s top sponsors include CDW/Intel, ITW, and Loop Capital. Media sponsors include iHeart Media Chicago, WVON, and The Chicago Crusader.
To purchase tickets to this year’s SUMMIT, visit www.chiul.org/summit-2022/.
To learn more about other upcoming programs and events from the Chicago Urban League, visit ChiUL.org. You can also follow the League on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Chicago Urban League
Established in 1916, the Chicago Urban League works to achieve equity for Black families and communities through social and economic empowerment. For more information, visit www.ChiUL.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
