NBEC Descends Upon Atlanta for ‘Solutions Session’ During National Mayors Conference

Watch the video highlights here.

Ohio River South (ORS) hosted The National Black Empowerment Council, or NBEC, for its “solutions sessions” in its downtown Atlanta offices. The group convened an influential cohort of leaders from across the country to discuss solutions to uplift Black communities.

Founded and led by Darius Jones, NBEC is dedicated to closing the systemic gaps in wealth, influence, and achievement between African Americans and broader society by uniting socially conscious and civically engaged leaders.

“For this event, it meant solutions for our communities. We get together to truly brainstorm and go into collective action together,” explained Kendra Pruitt, Chief of Staff to Little Rock, Arkansas Mayor Frank Scott.

About the NBEC, former Birmingham, Alabama Mayor William Bell said, “I think the name speaks for itself – empowerment. No matter whether you are an elected official or a business individual, see how you can not only empower yourself but also others through networking and a common mutual goal.”

Former Columbus, Ohio Mayor Michael Coleman – the first African American to hold that post – said, “It’s about relationship building, it’s experience building, it’s giving people a shot and a chance, and getting people in a position to be successful… all those things have to happen in order to be empowered to be successful.”

ORS is proud to provide a safe space for impactful groups like the NBEC to engage in strategizing and enacting plans to move our community forward. “Relationships are key and they are how you get partners and policy makers to listen to you, but when they are listening to you, you’ve got to have something to say,” said Howard Franklin, CEO of Ohio River South.