Volume V

Driving Local Investment in Black Arizonans is the fifth volume of the State of Black Arizona’s series of publications focused on telling a data-driven story that promotes inclusivity and positive change in the Grand Canyon State.

Volume V builds on the State of Black Arizona’s commitment to disaggregate data that reveal truths and challenges and highlight opportunities to address disparities impacting the state’s Black community. It lays bare inequitable outcomes for Black Arizonans on key metrics of progress. It is the basis for ongoing conversations with community, business, education and elected leaders committed to capitalizing on the strength of a diverse, equitable and inclusive Arizona.

In the spirit of common purpose, Driving Local Investment in Black Arizonans was produced in partnership with the Center for the Future of Arizona, the Arizona Center for Economic Progress, the Black Chamber of Arizona, Greater Phoenix Urban League, and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council.

Across Arizona, communities of color are underrepresented in the public sphere. They are significantly disproportionately impacted by many conditions that result in unequitable outcomes in areas such as education, economic mobility, and health and well-being. This challenge is particularly acute with African Americans which represent only 5% of Arizonans. A concerted effort is needed to ensure these concerns are identified, validated, and brought to the attention of community leaders.

Driving Local Investment in Black Arizonans is a recognition that driving investments in African Americans across the state will deliver local growth. We need more support and resources in partnership from state, local and major corporations to reflect those results.

This publication will explore data, demographics, and recommendations that one can have beyond basic employment that barely meets their basic needs. We believe access to better wages, schools, quality of transit and secondary education attainment creates more opportunities to live a full life. Ultimately this increase should allow the ability to give back to the community and develop wealth even legacy for their family and generations to come.

Armed with this agenda of the most urgent concerns, we compiled and synthesized as much point in time data and research we could access to produce the publication. The publication includes:

• Opening address to cover the exacerbation of African American issues in light of COVID-19, how race matters, history and government as our accountable partners


• Point in time data for focus areas: Jobs, Unemployment, secondary education attainment, quality transit and more…


• After the release of the Volume V publication, a concerted effort to host a number of Community Conversations on the priority focus areas with the public, law makers and community leaders.

Outcomes:

A successful process will result in the following notable outcomes:

• Increased engagement of the African American community with greater connection to point in time issues and concerns


• Local leaders that recognize and prioritize the concerns of the African American residents


• The alignment of public, private, and non-profit leaders around key priorities


• The advancement of solutions that are uniquely informed by the affected community, embraced by elected leaders, and advanced by cross-sector collaborations

Without the support and commitment from these organizations and corporations this event would be most challenging to execute. On behalf of the State of Black Arizona we would like to thank:

Title Sponsor:

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Premier Sponsor:

Silver Sponsor:

Bronze Sponsors:

Supporting Sponsors: