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Similar Association for the Study of, National Council of Negro W, Congress of Racial Equality, National Urban League, United Negro College F | ||
20 years with the national black chamber of commerce
The National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) was incorporated as The National Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc., in 1993. It is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian organization dedicated to the economic empowerment of African American communities. Additionally, the organization indicates that it represents the views of its members regarding economic and political policy issues; domestically and internationally. It is organized as a 501(c) corporation and has at least 190 chapters within the United States. The NBCC also has international chapters in the Bahamas, Brazil, Colombia, Ghana and Jamaica. As with all Chambers of Commerce, affiliate branches are committed to carrying out the goals of the main Chamber within their areas.
Contents
- 20 years with the national black chamber of commerce
- Mission and strategic goals
- Business development
- Funding
- Positions
- Organization
- References
NBCC was founded in 1993 by Harry C. Alford and his wife Kay DeBow.
The NBCC is a very young national organization when compared to others such as the NAACP and CORE. It is also the first major African American organization to focus on economic empowerment. The NBCC was founded by Harry Alford, who serves as the first President and CEO. He also is a Board member of the United States Chamber of Commerce. In an interview reported in Human Events, Mr. Alford identifies with the Booker T. Washington approach to African American self empowerment and sees the approach of W.E.B. Du Bois and the NAACP (whom he calls enemies of Washington) as primarily political.
Mission and strategic goals
The stated mission of the NBCC is to "economically empower and sustain African American communities through entrepreneurship and capitalistic activity within the United States and via interaction with the Black Diaspora".
The NBCC works to fulfill its mission by implementing the following goals:
Business development
The NBCC reaches 100,000 Black owned businesses. There are 1 million Black owned businesses in the United States. Black businesses account for over $100 billion in annual sales. African Americans have over $800 billion in expendable income each year according to the US Bureau of Census.
Funding
The NBCC "is funded primarily by fossil fuel energy companies, including Koch Industries and ExxonMobil," according to an 2015 analysis by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting. Exxon Mobil includes the NBCC on its 2004 list of contributions and community investments. From 2002 through 2014 NBCC received $1 million, and from 2008 through 2015 $800,000, from Exxon Mobil. In June of 2015 Peabody Energy contributed $10,000 to the NBCC. The NBCC acknowledges funding from fossil fuel companies.
Those in this list have sponsored the NBCC and/or its events in the past, and may continue to do so.
In 2015 Florida Congressman Alcee Hastings urged NBCC to cut ties with industry groups that spread misinformation on air pollution.
Positions
The NBCC takes positions on federal and state legislation and issues that may affect its goals.
The NBCC "has been a staunch ally of utility and fossil fuel companies for nearly a quarter century," according to the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting.