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Fight for economic equity under ‘assault’ 60 years after March on Washington, advocates warn on August 24, 2023 at 10:00 am Business News | The Hill

Published

3 years ago

August 24, 2023

Sixty years after civil rights leaders demanded equal access to employment and fair wages for Black Americans at the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, economic equity is still far from a reality in the U.S.

While advocates acknowledge that some strides have been made in the decades since the march, notable gaps persist between Black and white Americans in areas such as wealth and income, joblessness and homeownership.

And concern is mounting that further progress could be threatened amid rising racial tensions.

“We are strongly not on the path of bridging inequality,” said Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, chief of Race, Wealth and Community for the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC).

“I think oftentimes, people approach it like, ‘Oh, we’re almost there. There’s a few things we got to do,’” he said. But, he argued, “We are on a very clear path of ongoing Black-white economic apartheid for centuries — unless we do radical policy change.”

Glaring disparities persist decades later

Roughly 250,000 people gathered for the march on Aug. 28, 1963, with a list of demands from Washington for effective policy combatting discrimination in federal programs and in labor, including calls for a “decent” minimum wage, housing and education for all Americans.

Decades later, experts and advocates point to significant remaining disparities between races.

The racial wealth gap has narrowed only slightly since the march. The ratio between white and Black wealth per capita saw a notable decline in the years following emancipation, according to a June 2022 paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. In 1860, that ratio stood at roughly 60-to-1. By the 1920s, it was down to 10-to-1.

But it decreased much more slowly in the years that followed, reaching 7-to-1 in the 1950s before inching to “a similar magnitude of 6-to-1” roughly seven decades later.

Among the factors that likely slowed progress in closing the gap, the report cites the revival of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s and the nation’s lengthy history of racist laws and practices, ranging from political disenfranchisement of Black Americans to Jim Crow-era policies.

“You have to be honest about these policies and their impacts,” said Algernon Austin, the Director for Race and Economic Justice at the Center for Economic and Policy Research. “And then when you fail to do that, then people who have political agendas to maintain, frankly, to maintain white supremacy, then can attack all these attempts at remediation.”

Other economic disparities have also persisted into the present day. Among Americans who are employed, research from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) showed the typical Black worker made more than 24 percent less than their white counterparts per hour in 2019 — a figure the group noted was about 8 percentage points higher than it was four decades earlier.

There is much more work to be done to address the Black-white homeownership gap, advocates add. A 2022 report from the National Association of Real Estate Brokers found the Black homeownership rate had “only modestly” increased since the 1968 passage of the Fair Housing Act, while the racial homeownership gap has widened over the years.

The report found the homeownership disparity between Black and white Americans, which sat at 23.8 percent in 1970, reached more than 31 percent five decades later. It said the gap hit 30 percent in 2022, continuing what the group called “a two-decades long trend of an expanding homeownership gap between Blacks and whites.”

“We have housing disparities that are wider than they were during Jim Crow,” said Samantha Tweedy, chief executive officer for the Black Economic Alliance, in an interview, calling housing “one of the foremost drivers of wealth in this country.”

Earlier this year, the White House cheered data showing the Black unemployment rate fell to a historic low in March, with Bharat Ramamurti, deputy director of the White House National Economic Council, calling the news an “incredible milestone” in remarks to TheGrio at the time.

“President [Biden] and Vice President [Harris], from the moment that they came into office, identified that they not only wanted to have a strong economic recovery, they wanted to have an equitable recovery,” Ramamurti said then.

The rate hit 5 percent in March, compared to a 3.2 percent unemployment rate for white Americans, and fell again in April, reaching 4.7 percent, before seeing upticks in the following months. But advocates are pushing for more sustained improvements.

“You can’t draw any conclusions from one month of numbers,” National Urban League President Marc Morial said. “The issue is, is the gap now over a one-, two-, three-year period?”

“While I like to see the gap narrow, I’m not popping a cork on one or two months of a narrower gap,” he added, adding: “We have to measure these things in sustainability.”

At the same time, experts have pointed to some progress the nation has made toward racial economic equality over a longer time, including headway in educational attainment and an overall drop in the poverty rate for Black Americans — which data from EPI shows declined more than 12 percent between 1968, when it sat at 34.7 percent, and 2016.

“In 1962, whites had about 2.4 times the four-year college attainment level of Blacks,” Asante-Muhammad said, while discussing the racial gap in higher education. “In 2022, it’s 1.7. So still, serious disparities, but there has been some bridging over those years.”

However, he also notes African Americans with college degrees don’t have equal levels of employment to their white counterparts, nor “have equal income levels and really don’t have equal wealth levels.”

“Even with kind of solid educational attainment, even with less segregation, more civil rights laws, we still see this massive income inequality that, if it continued to improve, as it has been since 1963, it would take us over 500 years for Blacks just to get income equality with whites,” he argued.

Research shows views of capitalism have shifted among Black Americans over the years, with a 2022 survey from the Pew Research Center finding 54 percent of Black adults said “they had a very or somewhat negative impression of capitalism.” The number is a 14-percentage-point jump from 2019.

“The question is, is it working for me?” Morial said of the findings. “That’s the issue.”

“People are saying, well, if I don’t think I’ve got a fair wage, well, they’re gonna tell you they don’t think the economic system’s working for them,” he said. “It’s less of a philosophical question and more of a practical question.”

‘A threat to progress’

There is concern among advocates and experts that an increased focus by conservatives on affirmative action and diversity initiatives could add greater hurdles to the battle for economic equality in the years ahead.

“The biggest threat is the right-wing assault on the policies which have made a difference,” National Urban League president Marc Morial said. “They’ve not made enough of a difference, but they’ve made a difference. It’s an assault by right-wing interests.”

From GOP-led efforts restricting how race is taught in schools across the country to those targeting affirmative action, advocates have been sounding alarms over what they see as a backlash to initiatives aimed at improving racial diversity and inclusion that gained momentum during the months of global protests against police brutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

Bills have also gained traction in the Republican House majority that seek to take aim at diversity training and efforts to increase representation as part of a larger so-called “anti-woke” push proponents say is needed to tackle unfair and unnecessary race initiatives.

“When you’re trying to reduce some of this burden that’s been placed on these victims of racial subjugation, and you’re calling that racist, it’s racist to call that racist,” Austin said.

“That’s the problem in this society, which is in fact why we need to talk about race more, and more honestly, because we live in a society where being white has been a positive, has given you preferences in varieties of ways,” he said, citing the impact of redlining, segregation, criminal justice policies and underfunding schools in the Black community.

The road ahead

Experts say a combination of race-conscious policies and broader measures like wage and labor reform is necessary to narrow racial economic gaps. But some have doubts about how far national leaders are willing to go to address those disparities, given history.

A recent report from the NCRC estimated it would take more than 500 years for Black Americans to reach the white median household income at the pace set in past decades.

“I think the biggest threat is the unwillingness to seriously commit to redistribution of resources, which is what is required to bridge racial inequality,” Asante-Muhammad of the NCRC said — a problem he charged both sides of the aisle with failing to adequately address.

“It’s one thing to take down the segregation sign, it’s another thing to invest in building affordable housing and doing lending in a way that would strongly increase Black homeownership,” he said. “Those are different.”

As the nation marks the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, advocates say the demands made by the hundreds of thousands of protesters who gathered in the nation’s capital for the event still hold today — including those for better wages and jobs.

“Raising the minimum wage is crucial,” Morial also said. “Increase in job training and education is crucial. Enforcing anti-discrimination laws is crucial.”

“Creating more tools and more of a commitment to homeownership for low and moderate income Americans is crucial,” he said. “Raising and improving access to capital for small businesses and Black small businesses is crucial.”

Asante-Muhammad points to measures congressional lawmakers have introduced that focus on Black homeownership, reparations and asset policies, like the baby bonds proposal championed by Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), as steps in the right direction in countering economic inequality.

But many experts aren’t holding their breath for significant change anytime soon.

“There used to be a time when there was more agreement on what the basic facts were, that we’re dealing with, and then we could argue about, ‘OK, what’s the appropriate solution?’” said Austin.

“But now, when people are wanting to make up facts, then it’s really hard to have a productive debate over what is the appropriate solution,” he said.

Business Sixty years after civil rights leaders demanded equal access to employment and fair wages for Black Americans at the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, economic equity is still far from a reality in the U.S. While advocates acknowledge that some strides have been made in the decades since the march, notable gaps…

Business

Building a 10 Million Army: One Leader’s Mission to Save Tomorrow

Published

2 months ago

May 24, 2026

Bolanle Media Staff

Sustainability is often spoken about as if it belongs only to scientists, policy experts, or environmental activists. On the Roselyn Omaka Show, Otto Cannon makes the case that it belongs to everyone. His message is both urgent and deeply human: sustainability is not just about the environment, but about creating a world where people, planet, and profit exist in balance.

Cannon’s mission is striking in its scale. He wants to build what he calls a global army of 10 million sustainability leaders—people across industries and communities who choose to think beyond short-term gains and take responsibility for the future they are helping shape.

My biggest mission is to raise a 10 million global army of sustainability leaders.

Otto’s understanding of this work did not begin in a conference room. It began in childhood, shaped by a father who taught him to see the world’s problems as personal assignments. That early influence instilled in him the belief that real leadership means stepping forward, identifying what is broken, and dedicating yourself to fixing it.

That mindset later became deeply personal. In one of the interview’s most emotional moments, Cannon shares how the death of his dog after swallowing a plastic bottle cap changed his life. What might have seemed like an isolated tragedy became, for him, a doorway into a much larger truth: waste is never just waste when it destroys ecosystems, harms wildlife, and threatens the future.

Instead of turning away, he turned pain into action. Through his work, he helped build a recycling company that processed over 10,000 tons of plastic and supported tree-planting efforts that have already reached more than 500,000 trees. His story reflects the broader idea of sustainability leadership, which is commonly framed as the integration of environmental, social, and economic responsibility into real-world decision-making.

What makes Cannon’s perspective especially compelling is the way he challenges common misconceptions. He argues that sustainability is too often boxed into environmental language alone, when in reality it applies to every sector—fashion, construction, energy, transportation, manufacturing, and beyond. This broader understanding aligns with current sustainability leadership thinking, which emphasizes systems, collaboration, and long-term value creation across sectors.

Profit should never come at the expense of people or the planet.

That belief is central to everything Cannon describes. For him, sustainability is not anti-business. It is about designing business, innovation, and progress in a way that does not leave harm behind for future generations. A solution that helps today but creates a deeper problem tomorrow, he argues, is not truly a solution at all.

This is also the thinking behind the Global Sustainability Summit and Awards in London, where Cannon brings together leaders from government, business, and civil society to share ideas, showcase innovation, and inspire action. Cross-sector collaboration is widely recognized as a core part of effective sustainability work, especially when the goal is cultural and systemic change rather than isolated projects.

The power of Cannon’s message lies in its accessibility. He is not calling only on policymakers or executives. He is speaking to creators, founders, farmers, designers, builders, and everyday professionals—anyone who has influence over materials, waste, systems, sourcing, or the choices that shape modern life.

By the end of the conversation, one image lingers: the idea that one person is a drop of water, but many drops together can become a wave. That is the future Otto Cannon is working toward—not a movement powered by one voice, but one built by millions who decide that sustainability is not optional, but necessary.

Business

GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT RETURNS FOR ITS 5TH EDITION AT THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT – HOUSE OF LORDS, PALACE OF WESTMINSTER

Published

2 months ago

May 16, 2026

Bolanle Media Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Theme: “People, Planet, and Profit in the Age of AI and Innovation”

London, United Kingdom — The Global Sustainability Summit (GSS) is officially back for its landmark 5th Edition, continuing its legacy as one of the leading international platforms driving sustainable development, climate action, ethical investment, innovation, and global collaboration.

Convened annually at the prestigious British Parliament, House of Lords, Palace of Westminster, by Ambassador Canon Chinenem Otto, the Summit has, over the last four years, successfully fostered international dialogue and partnerships that have contributed to the advancement of global sustainability goals, the establishment of sustainability-focused ministries, departments and policy structures across national and subnational governments, and the attraction of major investors into sustainable development projects, corporations and emerging economies.

This year’s summit, themed “People, Planet, and Profit in the Age of AI and Innovation,” will explore how emerging technologies, responsible leadership, sustainable finance, innovation, and global partnerships can shape a more inclusive, resilient and environmentally conscious future.

The 5th Edition promises to be the most impactful yet, bringing together world leaders, policymakers, diplomats, investors, academics, innovators, climate experts and youth leaders from across the globe to discuss actionable solutions toward achieving a sustainable and equitable future.

Among the distinguished speakers, delegates and honorees already lined up for the Summit are:

• His Excellency Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq — Executive Governor of Kwara State, Nigeria and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum

• His Excellency Senator Prince Bassey Otu — Executive Governor of Cross River State, Nigeria

• Ambassador Patricia Espinosa Cantellano — Former Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Former Foreign Minister of Mexico

• Lord Marvin Rees, Baron Rees of Easton OBE — Member of the House of Lords, United Kingdom

• Hon. Neema K. Lugangira — Secretary-General of Women Political Leaders (WPL), Brussels and Former Member of Parliament

• Her Excellency Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah — President of the Republic of Namibia

• His Excellency Nangolo Mbumba — Former President of Namibia

• Former President of Tanzania

• Her Excellency Ambassador Professor Olufolake AbdulRazaq — First Lady of Kwara State, Nigeria and Chairperson of Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum

• Your Excellency Dr. Dikko Umar Radda, PhD, CON — Executive Governor of Katsina State and Chairman of the Northwest Governors Forum, Nigeria

• Hon. Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma — Governor of Khomas Region, Namibia

• H.E. Mr. Veiccoh Nghiwete — High Commissioner of the Republic of Namibia to the United Kingdom

• Her Excellency Ms. Macenje “Che Che” Mazoka — High Commissioner of Zambia to the United Kingdom

• Ms. Danielle Newman — Partner Lead, ICT, World Economic Forum

• Leanne Elliott Young — Co-founder, Institute of Digital Fashion & CommuneEast

• Ms. Chloe Russell — Producer & Presenter, Art, Science and Nature

• Professor Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger — University of Cambridge & University of Waterloo

• Dr. Alexandra R. Harrington — IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL)

• Professor Payam Akhavan — Massey College, University of Toronto

• Mr. Mallai C. E. Sathya — President, Dravida Vetri Kazhagam and International Movement for Tamil Culture Asia

The Summit will feature high-level panel discussions, strategic investment conversations, sustainability awards, policy dialogues, innovation showcases, youth engagement sessions and international networking opportunities focused on climate resilience, ethical financing, food-water-energy sustainability, circular economy, artificial intelligence, diplomacy and sustainable development.

Speaking ahead of the Summit, Convener Ambassador Canon Chinenem Otto noted:

“As the world rapidly evolves through artificial intelligence and technological innovation, we must ensure that sustainability remains people-centered, environmentally responsible and economically inclusive. The Global Sustainability Summit continues to serve as a bridge connecting governments, institutions, innovators and investors to accelerate practical sustainability solutions globally. Our fifth edition is not only a celebration of progress made over the years, but also a renewed call for global collaboration and actionable impact toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and Net Zero ambitions.”

The Global Sustainability Summit continues to position itself as a catalyst for transformative partnerships and sustainable global progress, reinforcing the urgent need for collective action toward a more resilient and sustainable future.

More announcements regarding additional speakers, partners and summit activities will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Business

What the Michael Biopic Means for Every Indie Filmmaker

Published

2 months ago

May 10, 2026

Bolanle Media Staff

The Michael Jackson biopic Michael is more than celebrity drama; it is a real-time lesson in how legal decisions can quietly rewrite a story that millions of people will see. You do not need a $200M budget for the same forces—contracts, settlements, and rights issues—to shape or even erase key parts of your own work.

“The Michael Jackson Movie Is A HUGE HIT!” by Adam Does Movies, CC BY, via YouTube.

What Happened to Michael

The film Michael originally included a third act that addressed the 1993 child sexual abuse allegations and their impact on Jackson’s life and career. Trade reports say this version showed investigators at Neverland Ranch and dramatized the scandal as a turning point in the story. After cameras rolled, lawyers for the Jackson estate realized there was a clause in the settlement with accuser Jordan Chandler that barred any depiction or mention of him in a movie.

Because of that old agreement, the filmmakers had to remove all references to Chandler and rework the ending so the story stopped years earlier, in the late 1980s at Jackson’s commercial peak.

According to reporting, this meant roughly 22 days of reshoots, costing around 10–15 million dollars and pushing the total budget over 200 million.

Meanwhile, actress Kat Graham confirmed her portrayal of Diana Ross was cut for “legal considerations,” showing how likeness and approval issues can wipe out an entire character even after filming.

For audiences, the result is a movie that intentionally avoids one of the most controversial chapters of Jackson’s life, which some critics argue makes the portrait feel incomplete or selectively curated.

The Hidden Power of Contracts and Rights

The key detail in the Michael story is that a contract signed decades ago could dictate what present-day filmmakers are allowed to show. That settlement clause did not just affect the people who signed it; it effectively controlled the narrative of a big-budget film made years later. This is how legal documents become invisible co-authors: they quietly set boundaries around what your story can and cannot include.

Creators face similar invisible lines with:

Life-rights and defamation: If you dramatize real people, especially in a negative light, they can claim defamation or invasion of privacy if your portrayal is inaccurate or harmful.
Copyright and trademarks: Unlicensed music, clips, logos, or artwork can trigger copyright or trademark claims that block distribution or force expensive changes.
Distribution contracts: Some deals give distributors the right to re-edit, retitle, or repackage your work without your approval unless you negotiate otherwise.

Legal commentary warns that fictionalizing real events and people carries heightened risk because audiences tend to connect your dramatization back to actual individuals. That risk does not disappear just because you are “small” or “indie”; impact, not audience size, usually determines exposure.

Why This Matters for Indie Filmmakers and Creators

Independent filmmakers often choose the indie route precisely to maintain creative control, but they can face more risk if they skip legal planning. Common problems include unclear ownership of the script, missing music licenses, handshake agreements with collaborators, and no written permission to use locations or people’s likenesses. These are the kinds of issues that can derail distribution, block a streaming deal, or force last-minute cuts that fundamentally change your story.

Legal guides for indie filmmakers consistently emphasize a few realities:

You do not fully “own” your film unless you have clear contracts for writing, directing, producing, and underlying rights.
Unregistered or unlicensed creative elements (like music and logos) can make your project uninsurable or unattractive to distributors.
Fixing legal problems after the fact is almost always more expensive and limiting than planning for them at the beginning.

So when you watch Michael skip over certain events, you are seeing, in exaggerated form, the same forces that can shape an indie short, web series, documentary, or podcast episode.

Practical Legal Lessons You Can Apply Now

You do not need a law degree, but you do need a basic legal strategy for your creative work. Here are practical steps drawn from entertainment-law and indie-film resources:

Clarify who owns the story
- Use written agreements with co-writers, directors, and producers that state who owns the script and finished film.
- If your work is based on a real person or memoir, secure life-rights or written permission where appropriate, especially if the portrayal is sensitive.
Be intentional with real people and events
- When telling true or inspired-by-true stories, avoid making specific, negative claims about identifiable people unless they are well-documented and legally vetted.
- Change names, details, and circumstances enough that the person is not clearly identifiable if you do not have their cooperation.
Lock down music and visuals
- Use original scores, licensed tracks, or reputable libraries; never assume you can keep a song just because it is in a rough cut.
- Clear artwork, logos, and recognizable brands, or replace them with generic or custom-designed alternatives.

Protect yourself in contracts
- When signing any distribution or platform deal, read the clauses about editing, retitling, and marketing carefully; ask for limits or at least consultation rights.
- Include terms that let you reclaim rights if a partner fails to release the work, goes dark, or breaches key promises.
Document everything
- Keep organized copies of releases, licenses, and contracts; these documents are part of your project’s value and proof of your rights.
- Register your work where applicable (for example, copyright), which strengthens your ability to enforce your rights if someone copies you.

Education-focused legal resources repeatedly stress that preventative steps—basic contracts, clear permissions, and simple registrations—are far cheaper than dealing with takedowns, lawsuits, or forced rewrites later.

The Big Takeaway: Story and Law Are Connected

The Michael biopic illustrates what happens when legal obligations and creative vision collide: whole characters disappear, endings are rewritten, and the public only sees a version of the story that fits within old contracts.

As an indie filmmaker, writer, or content creator, you may not have millions at stake, but you do have something just as valuable—your voice and your ability to tell the story you meant to tell.

Understanding the legal dimensions of your work is not a distraction from creativity; it is a way of protecting it. When you know where the legal boundaries are, you can design stories that are bold, truthful, and still safe enough to reach the audiences they deserve.