The Challenge

“One in Eight by ‘28”​

Approximately one in eight Americans identify as Black or African American, yet 20% of S&P 500 corporations did not have any Black board members in 2021.^1,2 The Black Boardroom Initiative commits to working to increase the representation of Black/African Americans across all corporate boards. Attaining this goal aligns board representation with the demographics of the community and reflects the broad, existing pool of talented Black executives.

Our Conviction

2020 shone a stark light on the historical inequities that Black individuals and communities have faced in our state and our country. It brought an urgency to the challenge: How do we take action to diversify corporate leadership —beginning with the board? We are driven by the conviction that diverse voices on corporate boards have significant benefits including fresh thinking, stronger governance and the encouragement of diversity throughout the organization and the broader community.