Markets Wired

WASHINGTON – Earlier today, Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo hosted a group of national Black leaders for a virtual roundtable discussion on the state of the economy, the racial wealth gap, and Treasury’s work to advance racial equity through its policies and programs. The Secretary underscored the Biden Administration’s commitment to addressing the structural economic disparities facing our country, particularly those facing Black Americans and Black-owned businesses, and to engaging regularly with Black leaders as Treasury works to tackle these longstanding issues.

The Secretary and Deputy Secretary engaged in a strategic conversation with attendees on how Treasury can build upon its efforts to promote an equitable recovery, including the expanded child tax credit and funding allocation to community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and minority depository institutions (MDIs). The group also discussed other barriers and opportunities, including access to capital, affordable housing, workforce development, and driving business opportunity for Black-owned enterprises.

A list of meeting attendees is below.

1. Thasunda Brown Duckett, CEO, TIAA
2. Ursula Burns, Board of Directors, ExxonMobil, and Uber
3. David Clunie, Executive Director, Black Economic Alliance
4. Tony Coles, Executive Chairman and CEO, Cerevel Therapeutics
5. Dr. William Darity, Distinguished Professor of Public Policy, Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy
6. Dr. Roger Ferguson, Board of Directors, Alphabet, Inc., Blend, and Klarna
7. Wade Henderson, Interim President, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
8. Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO, AARP
9. Derrick Johnson, President, NAACP
10. Lisa Mensah, President and CEO, Opportunity Finance Network
11. Marc Morial, President, National Urban League
12. John Rogers, Jr., Founder, Chairman and Co-CEO, Ariel Investments
13. Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder, National Action Network
14. Dr. Valerie Wilson, Director of Program on Race, Ethnicity and the Economy, Economic Policy Institute