Hello everyone. Welcome to the first issue of Pride Magazine this new year. Let me bring you up to speed about Pride Awards 2021. This year’s event will be a virtual, out-of-the-box, evening affair during Black History Month on Saturday, February 20. 2021.
We chose this theme because it matters and arguably, the wealth gap could be the crux of racial inequality, not only in America but around the world. Please understand, according to data from the Federal Reserve, “White people own 86% of wealth and make up 60% of the population in our country. Black households own 4.2% of wealth with Hispanics owning 3.1%. In addition, White wealth is diversified among real estate, equities and other assets, whereas Black wealth is mostly in pensions and real estate.”
With the understanding that there is a HUGE wealth gap in our country, Pride Awards 2021 will include a debate! Yes an actual debate, stemming from the following claim: Systemic racism as a cause of the racial wealth gap has created a victim mentality within the Black community regarding racial inequality.
Two outstanding individuals from our community have stepped up to compete: Dr. Shanté Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Black Pearl Global and Jamall Kinard, racial equity trainer and Executive Director of Lakeview Neighborhood Alliance. It’s going to be bananas.
We are pleased to bestow this year’s prestigious Pride Award on Shaun Corbett for his business acumen, entrepreneurial achievements and motivation to build generational wealth for his family and others. Be sure to read our feature story about him moving forward with his life and making a difference in the lives of young men and women in our community. To top it off, this year’s monetary donation will be made to the Cops & Barbers Foundation, founded by Shaun and Mecklenburg County Sheriff Gary McFadden as a way to bridge the gap between the community and the police.
We extend a heartfelt “thank you” to our major sponsors at the time of this writing: Atrium Health, Bank of America, Food Lion, Northeastern University, Truist, U.S. Bank and WCNC-Charlotte. Their commitment, along with our other corporate partners and ticket purchasers, makes it possible for us to continue to bring a meaningful program to the Charlotte community.
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