NBL Launches Black Economic Freedom Movement to Digitize
1 Million Black Businesses for a Global Economic Renaissance
By June Ings
Marie June and Associates, Inc.
mariejune@me.com
TUSKEGEE, Ala., February 18, 2025 – The National Business League (NBL), founded by Booker T. Washington in 1900, officially launched its 125th Quasquicentennial Anniversary Year with an ambitious initiative to digitize 1 million Black Business Enterprises (BBEs)® by 2028, called “The Black Economic Freedom Movement.” This historic initiative was announced during a press conference at the Alabama League of Municipalities in Montgomery, Alabama, signaling a bold new trajectory for Black entrepreneurship.
Dr. Ken L. Harris, the sixteenth President and CEO of the NBL, presented a three-year strategic plan the future of “The Black Economic Freedom Movement.” The initiative will harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Quantum Technology to build a digitized economic infrastructure, ensuring BBEs® can compete in the U.S. and global marketplaces. The plan strengthens the nation’s first and oldest Black business organization with an ultra-modern digital ecosystem, facilitating direct connections among 1 million Black businesses, creating a formidable economic force.
“The National Business League is leading the charge toward a new era of economic sovereignty, where Black businesses thrive through ownership, innovation, and digital transformation—not just survival,” said Dr. Harris.
With recent Executive Orders dismantling Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, “The Black Economic Freedom Movement” is designed to secure economic self-determination for Black entrepreneurs. The movement challenges outdated systems that have historically excluded Black businesses from mainstream opportunities.
While some may see this as an extension of Affirmative Action and DEI, studies reveal that white women have been the primary beneficiaries of such programs. Meanwhile, Black businesses make up only 1% of certified minority firms, effectively locking them out of over $500 billion in public and private sector contracts. In response, “The Black Economic Freedom Movement” aims to build a global, technology-driven network that fosters economic independence, liberation, and generational wealth for Black communities worldwide.
“The Black Economic Freedom Movement” is more than a commemoration of our past—it is the strategic blueprint for our future. This movement transcends outdated economic paradigms and repositions Black business as a dominant force in the 21st-century global economy,” Dr. Harris emphasized.
A cornerstone of this initiative is the National Black Supplier Black Business Enterprise (BBE) Certification Pilot Program, which has already secured $150 million in corporate contracts over three years. This model will be expanded to support the digitization of 1 million Black businesses, forming direct alliances with Fortune 500 corporations, venture capital firms, and global trade networks.
The momentum of “The Black Economic Freedom Movement” will culminate at the 125th National Black Business Conference, hosted by the National Alliance for Black Business from August 17-23, 2025, at the Hilton Atlanta Hotel in Atlanta. This historic gathering will convene over 5,000 prominent business leaders, entrepreneurs, and policymaker solidifying the movement’s impact on the future of Black economic empowerment.
For 125 years, the National Business League has upheld Booker T. Washington’s vision of self-reliance, economic determination, and collective prosperity. The commitment to digitizing 1 million Black businesses through “The Black Economic Freedom Movement” reaffirms the NBL’s mission: ensuring Black wealth creation from the Industrial Revolution to today’s digital economy.
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About the National Business League
Founded in 1900 by Booker T. Washington, the National Business League (NBL) is the first and largest trade association for Black businesses, dedicated to economic independence, entrepreneurship, and enterprise development for over a century. Today, the NBL continues to be a transformative force in Black economic empowerment, leading digital innovation, fostering global business opportunities, and establishing strategic partnerships that drive sustainable Black wealth. For more information, visit: www.nationalbusinessleague.org
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