On the 26th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Day and the eve of the historic inauguration of the 46th President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden, and 49th Vice President, Kamala D. Harris, pocstock is kicking off the #IncludeUS campaign with “Living the Dream, Black America’s New Social Contract”, an important conversation about the future of Black America.
The question is clear — to truly fulfill the dream of social equity for Black Americans, do we need to establish a new social contract with America?
Background
A social contract or political contract is a perceived agreement among the people of a state about the rules that will define their government. These rules are usually called laws. These laws help to make sure people have rights and that their rights are protected. The U.S. Constitution is a type of social contract.
The U.S. Constitution is often cited as an explicit example of part of America’s social contract. It provides a written framework of what the government can and cannot do. People who choose to live in America implicitly agree to be governed by the moral and political obligations outlined in the Constitution’s social contract.
The aim of a social contract is to show that members of society have reason to endorse and comply with the fundamental social rules, laws, institutions, and/or principles of that society.
Following the emotional rollercoaster ride of the turbulent events of 2020 — from the tragic murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd by the police and the subsequent protests that erupted around the world, to the Covid-19 pandemic and the revelation of the healthcare disparities in the Black community, to the historic election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and subsequent runoff elections in Georgia — the critical importance and systemic vulnerabilities of Black Americans have been spotlighted.
“A rare and historic moment has opened up for us to have real and authentic conversations. As Black Americans, how can we turn this talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion to action? How can we hold America (and ourselves) accountable to change? How can we turn this moment into momentum?” Steve Jones, Founder & CEO of pocstock
Whether you’re a proud Black person in America or abroad, or you’re an Ally or an “All Lives Matter” chanter, this event is for you.
Watch The Live Stream
pocstock assembled a dynamic panel of Black excellence for a live conversation streamed on Facebook Live on 1/18 at 6PM EST hosted and moderated by Neneh Diallo.
Neneh Diallo (Moderator)
A Government strategic communications professional, specializing in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Neneh Diallo is an entrepreneur and seasoned public affairs executive with over 20 years of experience in strategic communications, leading cross functional global teams in developing and implementing communications campaigns on themes such as health, energy, conflict security, and private sector investment. Neneh has also served as the strategic communications advisor to United States Government officials.
A self-identified ‘change agent’ for inclusion, Neneh is an Advisory Council member of the Wilson Center’s Women in Public Service Project and is a Board Member of STK Sports Academy, a nonprofit social enterprise committed to empowering youth in marginalized communities in the United States and Africa.
Neneh is also a contributing author for Motherhood Dreams & Success and an independent documentary filmmaker.
Panelists
Dr. Randal Pinkett
Chairman and CEO, BCT Partners
Dr. Randal Pinkett has established himself as an entrepreneur, speaker, author and scholar, and as a leading voice for his generation in business, technology, diversity and inclusion. He is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of his fifth venture, BCT Partners, a multimillion-dollar research, training, consulting, technology, and data analytics firm named to Black Enterprise’s BE 100 list of the nation’s largest African American-owned businesses.
Dr. Pinkett has received numerous awards for entrepreneurial excellence including the Congressional Minority Business Award, National Society of Black Engineers’ Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and National Urban League’s Business Excellence Award. He is an expert in several areas relating to emerging technologies, “big data” analytics, social innovation, culture, diversity, equity and inclusion, and is a regular contributor on MSNBC, CNN, and Fox Business News.
Dr. Pinkett is the author of “Campus CEO: The Student Entrepreneur’s Guide to Launching a Multimillion-Dollar Business” and “No-Money Down CEO: How to Start Your Dream Business with Little or No Cash” and co-author of “Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness”. He holds five degrees including: a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University; a M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Oxford in England; and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering, MBA, and Ph.D. from MIT. Most notably, he was the first and only African-American to receive the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship at Rutgers University, and he was the Season 4 winner of NBC’s hit reality television show, “The Apprentice”.
Dr. Pinkett firmly believes that “for those to whom much is given, much is expected,” so throughout his endeavors, he places great emphasis on his desire to give back to the community.
Terrence Clark
President and CEO, NY & NJ Minority Supplier Development Council
Terrence Clark currently serves as the President and CEO of the NY & NJ Minority Supplier Development Council. At the Council, Terrence provides operational oversight and carries out full management and operational responsibilities for the Council’s market areas which are the State of New York and New Jersey up to the Trenton area.
Prior to this position, he served as the Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Business Development for the National Urban League, the Senior Vice President, Knowledge Sharing for Opportunity Finance Network, and has served in a variety of leadership positions for community and economic development organizations over the past twenty five years. He served as the Executive Director of the 47th Street Business Improvement District, as the Executive Director of the Manhattan Minority Business Development Center, Bronx Small Business Development Center, and the Pace University Minority and Women Business Development Center. Mr. Clark started his career at the United States Small Business Administration, where he served as the Assistant District Director for Management Assistance.
He is a graduate of Hunter College of the City University of New York, with a bachelor’s degree in Economics, and serves as a board member of TruFund Financial Services, the Supplier Diversity Development Council, the New York New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council and sits on the Economic Impact Committee of Stonehenge Capital.
Dr. Roger Mitchell
The Chair of the Task Force on Gun Violence Prevention for the National Medical Association
Dr. Mitchell is board certified in Anatomic and Forensic Pathology by the American Board of Pathology (ABP) and serves as the Chief Medical Examiner of Washington, DC. He holds positions as Clinical Professor of Pathology at the George Washington University and Assistant Professor of Surgery at Howard University where he teaches medical students and residents.
Dr. Mitchell is Chair of the Task Force on Gun Violence Prevention for the National Medical Association (NMA). He co-authored the paper entitled The Violence Epidemic in the African American Community: A Call by the National Medical Association for Comprehensive Reform highlighting the impact of violence in the United States. In addition, Dr. Mitchell led a group of forensic pathologists in an ad hoc committee to the paper entitled: National Association of Medical Examiners Position Paper: Recommendations for the Definition, Investigation, Postmortem Examination, and Reporting of Deaths in Custody.
Dr. Mitchell has lectured on a multitude of topics for the several countries in Africa and Asia including the Governments of Egypt, Bangladesh, India, and Belize. He currently works with the CDC Foundation providing technical support to numerous international medical examiners and coroners.
He is married with three children and is a Minister and mentor in his local community.
Larry Blackmon
VP of Community and Government Affairs, Fresh Direct
Larry Scott Blackmon is the CEO of the Blackmon Organization, a leading public affairs, political consulting firm. Additionally, Larry serves as VP, Public Affairs at FreshDirect, the leading e-commerce food grocer, expanding current partnerships, cultivating new relationships and serving as a key company spokesman. Larry’s work builds on FreshDirect’s existing community and charitable partnerships across a variety of issues including fighting hunger, nutrition education and career development. Larry has 20 years of public service, community development and government experience.
Follow the conversation at https://facebook.com/pocstock
