PHILADELPHIA – In honor of Black History Month, the Mayor’s Office of Black Male Engagement (OBME) and the Mayor’s Commission on African American Males (MCAAM) are hosting their third Annual Black Generational Wealth (BGW) series for the bi-monthly My Brother’s Keeper Action Academy, a national program established by President Obama to dismantle systems of inequality and close opportunity gaps for boys and young men of color.
“Now more than ever, our residents need support in finding access to economic opportunity, and in many cases, recovering from the pandemic. The City of Philadelphia is proud to sponsor a program that is both timely and relevant, but also uses a racial justice and equity framework to advance our community, holding Black men and boys at the center of this particular effort,” said Romana Lee-Akiyama, newly appointed Director of the Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement.
This series is structured into weekly financial empowerment events held every Thursday throughout February 2022 to empower Black men and their allies with the tools and resources necessary to obtain and maintain generational wealth. The BGW series will hold four different workshops covering topics like financial literacy, accessing City resources and initiatives, entrepreneurship, and transferring wealth. These seminars will feature local business leaders, financial experts, and City officials with a wealth of experience and insight.
“The goal of this series is to empower 300 participants, particularly Black men in Philadelphia, to re-envision our communities by learning the skills and making the connections needed to make generational wealth a larger reality for the Black community, ” said Eric Westbrook, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Black Male Engagement. OBME aims to host these events virtually in order to keep participants safe while we’re navigating the latest COVID-19 pandemic challenges.
Members of the public can join OBME and MCAAM virtually to gather the tools to realize their financial vision and empower generations to come. See the full series and topics below:
Make That Change: A Workshop on Personal Financial Literacy
February 3, 2022 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. ET
Tell the Vision: Opportunities to Build with the City of Philadelphia
February 10, 2022 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. ET
Built to Last: Business Strategies to Endure Challenging Times
February 17, 2022 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. ET
What’s Next?: Transferring Knowledge to the Next Generation
February 24, 2022 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. ET
Participants can sign up for the 2022 Black Generational Wealth Series events through the BGW sign-up page.
The Mayor’s Office of Black Male Engagement (OBME) works to close the opportunity divide for men and boys of color. Their work is inclusive, serving Latino, Asian, immigrant, and other populations of men and boys in Philadelphia.
OBME directs and supports the efforts of the Mayor’s Commission on African American Males, and coordinates My Brother’s Keeper Philadelphia, a program that aims to dismantle systems of inequality. OBME is part of the Office of Public Engagement.