By Tacuma Roeback Chicago
Defender
https://chicagodefender.com/
A coalition of national Black faith leaders has launched an effort to push back against corporations retreating from diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Their message: Reverse course or risk losing the business of millions of churchgoers.
At the forefront of the movement is Chicago businessman and philanthropist Dr. Willie Wilson, who has been tapped to lead the initiative. Wilson says the goal is to engage corporate leaders in direct conversations about reinstating and strengthening DEI policies. If those talks fail, faith leaders will call on their congregations to take their business elsewhere.
“What that means to me is that we’re looking for these major corporations who have pushed back on DEI to step back up to the plate and do even more,” Wilson said. “That means contracts, the job market, churches, outreach programs, youth scholarships.”
Wilson, a former Chicago mayoral and U.S. Senate candidate, will spearhead discussions alongside a powerful group of Black faith leaders, including Rev. Boise Kimber, President of the National Baptist Convention USA; Rev. Samuel Tolbert Jr., President of the National Baptist Convention of America; Ethan B. Sheard of the Church of God in Christ; and Pastor Andre’ A. McGhee, representing the National Missionary Baptist Convention of America.
A $2 Trillion Economic Force
Former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, one of the event’s organizers, framed the effort around the economic power of Black consumers.
“African Americans collectively spend about $2 trillion in economic impact in this country,” Boykin said. “There are corporations that have announced they’re rolling back their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts. Well, we’ve got great faith-based leaders who’ve come together to stand as one and make sure African Americans are being represented and taken care of.”
The coalition represents more than 20 million predominantly Black churchgoers who have longstanding ties to corporations as employees, customers, and community partners. Their strategy is straightforward: First, request meetings with corporate leaders. If those discussions don’t lead to meaningful change, they will mobilize congregations to direct their dollars elsewhere.
Engagement Before Boycotts
While some activists have called for immediate boycotts, the coalition is taking a different approach.
“We’ve come with a different strategy,” said Rev. Kimber. “We desire to sit, collaborate, and talk with corporations so we may come to some conclusion on how we can work together.”
The priority is dialogue. But if corporations refuse to engage, faith leaders say they are prepared to take action.
A Broader Push for Economic Empowerment
For Wilson, this fight extends beyond DEI. It’s about economic empowerment.
“We’re talking about integrity, about principle,” Wilson said. “Nobody here is taking a check or selling out. We are asking corporations to do what’s right—invest in our communities, in jobs, in contracts, in education.”
He pointed to stark disparities in Black business ownership, particularly in Chicago.
“There is not one African American-owned gas station in the city of Chicago. Not one,” Wilson said. “There is not one major African American-owned building in downtown Chicago. We have to change that.”
The coalition also plans to promote Black entrepreneurship, pushing for investment in Black-owned businesses, trade schools, and professional development programs.
“It’s not just about jobs,” Wilson said. “It’s about ownership. If we create our own businesses, we create our own jobs. And those dollars stay in our community instead of flowing elsewhere.”
What’s Next?
Dr. Willie Wilson (Photo Credit: Tacuma Roeback).
The coalition’s next steps include sending letters to corporations, requesting meetings and outlining specific expectations. If companies refuse to engage, Wilson said the leaders will act.
“We will ask our members not to support those businesses that refuse to support us,” Wilson said. “If we spend $2 trillion and get less than a fraction of that back in our communities, that cannot continue.”
While the coalition launched its effort in Chicago, the initiative is national. Faith leaders plan to take their message across the country, meeting with local pastors and community leaders to align on strategy.
“This is the first time all these denominations have come together with one voice,” Wilson said. “And after today, things will not be the same.”
Tacuma Roeback, Managing Editor
Tacuma R. Roeback is the Managing Editor for the Chicago Defender.
His journalism, non-fiction, and fiction have appeared in the Smithsonian Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tennessean, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Phoenix New Times, HipHopDX.com, Okayplayer.com, The Shadow League, SAGE: The Encyclopedia of Identity, Downstate Story, Tidal Basin Review, and Reverie: Midwest African American Literature.
He is an alumnus of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, Chicago State University, and Florida A&M University.
