Groundbreaking Event To Connect Racial Employment Equity Solutions With Minnesota's Economic Future

Minnesota, May 27, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Everybody In, created to eliminate the racial employment disparity gap in the Saint Paul/Minneapolis seven-county metro area, will host a Super Connector Forum on June 10, 2015 to accelerate the capacity of businesses of color. This high-level connection event will bring educators, capacity builders, policy makers and corporate leaders together under one roof to develop system-wide strategies that will speed up business growth to boost hiring capacity. It is estimated that the current employment gap of 45,000 additional jobs (at or above 130% of poverty) for African Americans and American Indians can be closed through businesses of color.*

Following addresses by Dr. Samuel L. Myers Jr., Professor and Chair of Roy Wilkins Center for Human Relations and Social Justice, University of Minnesota and Dr. Bruce Corrie, Dean of the College of Business and Organizational Leadership and Associate Vice President for University Relations and International Programs, private and public sector thought leaders will facilitate and participate in breakout sessions addressing several critical topics impacting regional economic growth. “We must ensure that all Minnesotans have equitable opportunities to work for their state government, to do business with the state, and to participate fully in the development of policy within our democracy,” Governor Dayton stated in a statement released earlier this year.

"We must ensure that all Minnesotans have equitable opportunities to work for their state government, to do business with the state, and to participate fully in the development of policy within our democracy."

Governor Dayton, Governor of Minnesota

By 2040, 40% of the population in the region will be people of color, however, Minnesota currently has among the highest racial employment disparity in the entire nation. Beyond an inherent sense of fairness, there are staggering financial implications if racial employment equity isn't reached. Minnesota's GDP would have been $16 billion higher in 2011 if there had been no racial gaps in income. On the other hand, nearly all of our region's net workforce growth over the next three decades will come from residents of color (Source: Metropolitan Council, Thrive MSP). If people of color become a greater share of the workforce, the GDP will grow to more than $5 trillion per year by 2030 (Source:  Policy Link).

To help close the racial employment disparity gap, Everybody In will expedite synergy throughout the seven-county metro area by connecting organizations and opportunities in areas closely related to: (1) Policy, Outreach and Collaboration; (2) Education and Work Preparedness; and (3) Racial, Ethnic and Cultural Businesses.

About Everybody In

Everybody In is a transformative hub of 50 plus core partners with a collective mission of eliminating racial employment disparities in the Saint Paul/Minneapolis seven-county region by 2020. Everybody In was initiated through Ramsey County's Board of Commissioners and Workforce Investment Board, City of Saint Paul and City of Minneapolis following a Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) report issued in 2012.

For more information on Everybody In or the Super Connector Forum, contact Sam Grant at (510) 619-6206 or [email protected]

*Blue Ribbon Commission Report-- Reducing Racial Employment Disparities