Tuskegee University News September 8, 2021 Tuskegee University hosts the 25th Annual Booker T. Washington Economic Development Summit Tuskegee University will host the 25th Booker T. Washington Economic Development Summit Sept. 15 - 16, 2021, virtually. This year's theme, "Tools of the Titans: Envisioning the Future of Black Economics," will focus on Post-COVID: Road to Recovery, Access to Capital, Sustainability, and Branding. The summit will take place from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. each day. Originally known as the BTW Empowerment Summit, Dr. Atheal Pierce and Dr. Carl Marbury developed the concept of the summit based on Booker T. Washington's 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech. The speech brings attention to the South's economic progress and stresses the importance of hard work and gradual improvement for Blacks. To date, the summit continues to maintain the spirit of the inaugural event. "Let us be inspired by the past and excited for the future. We find ourselves in challenging times but also a time of great opportunity," said Gary Walton, Jr., MBA, chairman of the Booker T. Washington Economic Development Summit. "We have the tools to provide a foundation for equitable future prosperity." This year's summit will focus on funding made available to state and local governments to assist citizens. In addition, this series will highlight how to maximize entrepreneurial efforts and how to be prepared for other funding sources. Another focus of the summit will include a digital marketing and sustainability dialogue on the benefits and importance of digital marketing and how sustainability influences our lives socially, economically, and environmentally. Some notable speakers and panelists will include Tuskegee University President, Dr. Charlotte Morris; Dr. Ken Harris - National Business League; William Barnes - Birmingham Urban League; Dr. Nyesha Black - University of Alabama and Felecia Lucky - Black Belt Community Foundation. The keynote speakers for the sessions are Maggie Anderson, author of Our Black Year and co-founder of the Empowerment Experiment, and Jeremie Greer, founder and co-CEO of Liberation in the Generation. Participants and community members are encouraged to register at www.tuskegee.edu/btwsummit<http://www.tuskegee.edu/btwsummit>. For additional information about the summit, please contact Gary Walton (gwalton@tuskegee.edu<mailto:gwalton@tuskegee.edu>). Sandra M. Phoenix HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> Honor the ancestors, honor the children and those yet to come. Building Capacity for Humanities Special Collections at HBCUs - Become an ally and partner with us to protect, preserve and share a more authentic record of American history. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/humanities-2019.html for more information. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/ and click on the Donate Now button to invest in this project. Your support is appreciated. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/