February 7, 2024

Dear Fortune 500 CEO,

As the leader of a Fortune 500 company in the United States, you know that investments in diversity initiatives, including supplier diversity programs, contribute to the performance and growth of companies, advance economic growth, and improve productivity.

Unfortunately, business decisions intended to capture the value from diversity initiatives have been politicized by a vocal minority of ideologically motivated voices who ignore both facts and the law. Opponents are relying on litigation to advance an unpopular, anti-growth, and anti-competitive agenda to undermine your leadership, the will of the vast majority of the population, and the growth and competitiveness of the U.S. economy.

We believe it is imperative that CEOs and other company leaders are able to make strategic decisions for their companies without threats of frivolous lawsuits and political pressure, and we will be here with support, every step of the way.

Our organizations are committed to standing with you as you continue this critical work.

We know continued investments in diversity initiatives are essential to the success of your business and our country’s economy. We also understand that companies are recalculating their risk tolerance in light of these unprecedented challenges that seek to dismantle your programs. We remain steadfast in our efforts to advance economic growth, free market competition, and opportunities for individuals, including diverse entrepreneurs, to pursue the American Dream.
This opposition is out of step with most business leaders, most customers, and the public at large, who overwhelmingly are in favor of these efforts. In addition, empirical analyses reveal how companies that champion diversity and inclusion outperform their peers who do not:

•  A national survey conducted in December 2023 by Morning Consult for the Public Private Strategies Institute found that the majority of senior executives across political affiliations said diversity initiatives play a critical role in the success of their companies, with 75% of self-described conservative executives, 77% of moderates, and 89% of liberals, all recognizing the positive contributions of diversity initiatives to their business performance. Moreover, 63% of senior executives reported that their commitment to diversity as a corporate objective has increased in the wake of the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action in higher education and an open letter from Republican Attorneys General threatening litigation.
•  Consumers who perceive a brand as committed to diversity are 3.5 times more likely to purchase the brand’s products or services compared to those who do not, according to the Corporate Diversity Index.
• A national survey conducted by The Harris Poll for the Black Economic Alliance Foundation in August 2023 found that 81% of American adults agree that corporate America should reflect the diversity of the American population and 78% of Americans support businesses taking active steps to make sure that companies reflect the diversity of the U.S. population.
• Global consulting firm McKinsey & Company found that companies that are ethnically and culturally diverse outperform their competitors by 36% in terms of profitability.
• And a Gallup study shows that diverse and inclusive teams have a 22% lower turnover rate.
• Diverse suppliers create value for corporations: According to an analysis by McKinsey & Company, diverse suppliers offer their corporate partners year-over-year cost savings of 8.5%, considerably more than the 3% to 7% annual procurement savings that most organizations realize.

As leaders of business advocacy organizations that represent a broad spectrum of viewpoints and communities, we acknowledge the commitments and leadership that you and your peers have shown in these efforts. And you can attest to the benefits that have resulted in your respective companies. It is vital that we do not allow the voices of an extreme few to outweigh the voices of the many. We cannot and will not sit idly by and allow that to happen. To do so would have dire consequences for not only your business and those you serve but the entire U.S. and global economies.

Our request is that you act on the overwhelming evidence and positive outcomes by expanding your company’s commitments to and investments in diversity initiatives, including supplier diversity programs. Together, we can overcome these baseless attacks and build a more resilient and inclusive economy that ensures continued prosperity for all.

With appreciation for your leadership,

Ron Busby, Sr.
President & CEO
US Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC)

Alphonso David
President & CEO
Global Black Economic Forum

Angela Dingle
President & CEO
Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)

Ying McGuire
CEO & President
National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC)

Brigadier General (ret) Richard Miller
President
National Veteran Business Development Council (NVBDC)

Marc Morial
President & CEO
National Urban League

Justin Nelson
Co-Founder & President
The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)

Matthew Pavelek
President & CEO
National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA)

Pam Prince-Eason
President & CEO
Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)

Chiling Tong
President & CEO
National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE)

Samantha Tweedy
CEO
Black Economic Alliance

Eboni Wimbush
President & CEO
Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 8, 2024 CONTACT:  Andrew Bradley | (317) 222-1221 x403| abradley@prosperityindiana.org In Light of Lack of Legislative Progress, the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition Calls for Creation of Commission on Housing Affordability & Stability INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Following the failure of several bipartisan pieces of legislation that would have improved enforcement of habitability standards in Indiana, and in light of other legislation that would have undermined successful approaches to reducing homelessness, the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition is calling on Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb to appoint a Commission on Housing Affordability and Stability to advance practical solutions to these critical challenges. Despite bipartisan legislation introduced in each of the last three sessions that would strengthen habitability standards and address Indiana’s short supply of safe, stable, affordable, and accessible housing, no such legislation has been moved out of committee in three years running. And even though the legislature’s Housing Task Force included a recommendation in their 2022 final report to “Support addressing substandard housing”, the General Assembly has not made significant progress to remedy Indiana’s lack of enforcement of housing health and safety laws. In fact, Indiana is one of only six states that does not enforce housing health and safety laws, which contributes to the state having a rate of affordable and available rental housing that is below the Midwest average for the most vulnerable residents, a rate of severe housing cost burden that is higher than the Midwest average, and has one of the highest eviction filing rates in the nation. This session, SB 277, authored by Sen. Greg Walker (R-Columbus) and Sen. Fady Qaddoura (D-Indianapolis) and co-authored by Sen. Ron Alting (R-Lafayette), Sen. Vaneta Becker (R-Evansville), Sen. Rick Niemeyer (R-Lowell), and Sen. Shelli Yoder (D-Bloomington) would have defined for the first time in Indiana essential services that landlords must maintain under existing laws, including electricity, gas, heat, water, and locking doors and windows. The bill would have provided courts and local governments with mechanisms to deal with landlords who fail to maintain those essential services for tenants who have fulfilled their own lease requirements and are current on rent, including the ability to put those properties into receivership. Importantly, SB 277 would also have enabled judges to allow tenants to put rent into an escrow account with the court clerk, to be released to the landlord when the judge is satisfied the essential services have been restored. But despite the wide bipartisan support for these common-sense solutions, and although the bill authors solicited input from major housing industry stakeholders as well as HHNC and other housing stability advocates, Senate Local Government Committee Chairman Senator Jim Buck did not allow SB 277 to be heard. Also this session, SB 243, authored by Sen. Andrea Hunley (D-Indianapolis) and Sen. Greg Walker (R-Columbus) would have provided Marion County with the jurisdiction needed to continue to pursue violations of health codes after a tenant has left a rental unit. HHNC members testified encouraging the Senate Judiciary Committee to move the bill forward so that it could be expanded to apply statewide and strengthened to ensure units that fail inspection can’t be re-rented until the health and safety issues have been rectified. However, disagreements on the committee about the scope and necessity of the bill resulted in a 5-5 vote that prevented SB 243 from moving forward in the legislative process. And notwithstanding the dozens of meetings with members of these committees, in addition to hundreds of calls and messages from HHNC members from all over the state to their legislators, neither SB 277 nor SB 243 will advance into the second half of the legislative session. The lack of progress on critical habitability enforcement legislation reveals that the General Assembly still does not understand the depth of Indiana’s housing stability and affordability crisis. While HHNC is frustrated by the failure of the General Assembly to advance tenant protection legislation, the Coalition is thankful that a bill that would have undermined critical resources to address homelessness died without a hearing in the first half of the session. HB 1413 bore telltale similarities to cookie-cutter legislation pushed by national interest groups that would force the state to abandon proven Housing First homelessness prevention services and funds. The bill would also have required a redirection of state resources away from proven strategies and funneled those funds into homeless encampments and punitive interventions that offer no guarantee of services or pathways to permanent housing. The bill also would have punished local governments who did not likewise criminalize homelessness. HHNC applauds HB 1413’s author Rep. Michelle Davis (R-Greenwood) for recognizing the fundamentally flawed and financially irresponsible assumptions of the out-of-state groups pushing this legislation, and for asking that the bill not be given a hearing. We thank Rep. Davis for taking the time to talk with HHNC members and Indiana’s community service providers who successfully use the evidence-based Housing First approach every day, and for her willingness to continue to collaborate with these stakeholders who are working to provide long-term solutions for all Hoosiers to have safe, stable places to live. At a time when many Hoosiers struggle to find affordable housing, the last thing communities need is out-of-touch model legislation that would waste state funding on strategies that push more vulnerable Hoosiers off the road to long-term housing stability. Instead, Indiana should increase the state’s Housing First appropriation and provide tenants with access to housing assistance, and voluntary, flexible, and responsive community support services to maximize self-sufficiency.

Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition partners meet with Rep. Michelle Davis (R-Greenwood) on January 18, 2024 To create more pathways to achieve and sustain homeownership and stable housing, the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition included in our 2024 policy priorities a call for Governor Holcomb to appoint a commission to identify solutions for the state’s housing and homelessness issues that remain unaddressed by the General Assembly. A ‘Commission on Housing Affordability and Stability’ modeled in structure after the successful Commission on Improving the Status of Children would include expert participants who can represent the communities who work most closely with the state’s housing issues and break the stalemate of the General Assembly. By including not only state legislators, officers, agencies, and courts but also necessary voices from local government, community service providers, housing providers, and residents who bear the greatest brunt of the state’s housing affordability and stability crisis, the Commission will be well-positioned to leverage existing resources, advance practical solutions that do not require legislation, and provide recommendations for necessary changes at the administrative, legislative, and judicial levels of state and local government. Stable and affordable housing is a necessary foundation from which to promote health, attract investment, and build a prosperous state for all Hoosiers to live in. Faced with the state’s growing shortage of safe, stable, affordable, and accessible housing without legislative solutions for years on end, the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition urges Governor Holcomb to appoint a Commission on Housing Affordability and Stability without delay. Read the full release by clicking here. ### About the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition: The Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition (HHNC) was formed by members of Indiana’s housing security advocacy community in April 2020 to support advocacy and education related to housing and homelessness prevention. Staffed by Prosperity Indiana, HHNC convenes partners from across Indiana to provide education and advocacy to achieve equitable federal, state, and local policies for housing stability and affordability solutions. HHNC also has a guiding body called the Steering Committee. Members of the HHNC Steering Committee are leaders in the Indiana housing advocacy and education space. Visit HHNC online at https://link.edgepilot.com/s/3b91b8fe/o_cLjMj2EkCh6COp4FY1tw?u=https://www.prosperityindiana.org/HHNC

 

IndyGo Foundation Sponsors Fare-Free Service February 4, in Celebration of Transit Equity Day

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 29, 2024) — For the second year, IndyGo is offering free rides on Sunday, Feb. 4, to recognize Transit Equity Day and the importance of ensuring there’s a seat for everyone on public transportation.

Transit Equity Day is a national day of action to promote equity in transit that is safe, reliable, and accessible for all. It is celebrated on Rosa Parks’ birthday. Parks was born on Feb. 4, 1913, and was a civil rights icon and activist. When instructed to move to the back of a Montgomery, Alabama, city bus in 1955, she refused. While she was not the first person to resist bus segregation, her defiance became an important symbol for the civil rights movement.

“The message behind Transit Equity Day is powerful in communicating that equitable transportation should be available to every individual, regardless of their life circumstances,” said IndyGo Foundation Executive Director Emily Meaux. “The IndyGo Foundation has been working toward this goal of equity for a few years now, and with us providing IndyGo’s services for free this day, we believe we’re one step closer to getting there.”

On Feb. 4, IndyGo riders can enjoy free rides on fixed routes and IndyGo Access paratransit service. Buses will operate on their regular Sunday schedule. The Customer Care Center will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Care Center Desk at the Julia M. Carson Transit Center will be closed.  Regular fares will resume Monday, Feb. 5. Riders can plan their trips using Google Maps or the MyStop app, or by visiting our website at https://link.edgepilot.com/s/e5eec42b/STpFx-CUYkumCJ-axh4jkw?u=https://www.indygo.net/plan-your-trip/.

To join the IndyGo Foundation on its journey toward a more equitable Indianapolis, visit https://link.edgepilot.com/s/61cc2404/HvMAYTuS3UWVKhsj8B2pNw?u=http://www.indygofoundation.org/.

 

“Urban League Fights For You” Campaign Expands into 2024 Committed to Three Ds: Defend Democracy, Demand Diversity, and Defeat Poverty 

NEW YORK (January 8, 2024) – As the nation prepares to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the National Urban League is putting his dream into action with a new phase of civil rights and social justice advocacy and activism, President and CEO Marc H. Morial announced today.

Based on three guiding principles — Defend Democracy, Demand Diversity, and Defeat Poverty – the campaign is an extension of the “Urban League Fights For You” initiative launched during the COVID-19 crisis and will elevate and enhance the organization’s historical commitment to employment, education, housing, healthcare, and equitable justice in the face of renewed threats.

“We are engaged in a battle for the future of this nation,” Morial said. “It is clear that the hard-fought progress since the Brown decision is under assault on every front. From the Supreme Court to right-wing state legislatures, reactionary school boards, and authoritarian presidential candidates, malicious forces are trying desperately to bend the moral arc away from justice.”

The primary objectives of the D3 campaign are:

• Combat and overturn racially-targeted voter suppression tactics such as strict voter ID laws, gerrymandering, the shuttering of polling places in predominantly minority neighborhoods, limits on early voting, and reckless purging of voter rolls.
• Overcome the white supremacist “anti-woke” backlash to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in employment and education, access to housing and healthcare, and the criminal justice system.
• Dismantle the structural and institutional barriers to financial services, social safety net programs, quality educational resources, and other economic opportunities.

The campaign will mobilize support for federal legislation including the Freedom to Vote Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Protecting Our Democracy Act, expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, and a $15 federal minimum wage indexed to inflation, along with efforts to restore voting rights to returning citizens and close the Medicaid gap.

Morial said a new phase of advocacy and activism is necessary to resist an evolving and insidious adversary.

 “The 20th century Civil Rights Movement of our fathers and grandfathers was a movement to defeat Jim Crow,” Morial said. “As 21st Century dawned, we faced his son, James Crow, Esquire, who wore a suit and a tie instead of a robe and hood and replaced the n-word with ‘welfare queens.’

“Today, the son of James and the grandson of Jim, Jimmy Crow isn’t content simply to suppress Black votes; he wants the power to ignore election results altogether. He fiercely guards the symbols of white supremacy his grandfather erected on town squares and courthouse grounds to intimidate Black Americans. He rants about ‘replacement theory’ and ‘wokeness” and ‘Critical Race Theory.’”

For more information about the Urban League Fights For You: D3 campaign, visit https://link.edgepilot.com/s/cd02584a/8Tmym0ACAkO2u_jaVyM8qg?u=http://www.nul.org/program/urban-league-fights-for-you