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Diverse Suppliers Are Good for Business and the Community

Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase & Co. Now more than ever, there’s a focus on prioritizing businesses that are actively addressing diversity, equity and inclusion, which creates opportunities for diverse suppliers. JPMorgan Chase is dedicated to the development and utilization of qualified diverse businesses – defined as companies that are at least 51 percent owned and […]
The post Diverse Suppliers Are Good for Business and the Community first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

December 5, 2023

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Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Now more than ever, there’s a focus on prioritizing businesses that are actively addressing diversity, equity and inclusion, which creates opportunities for diverse suppliers.

JPMorgan Chase is dedicated to the development and utilization of qualified diverse businesses – defined as companies that are at least 51 percent owned and operated by members of historically underrepresented groups, including minorities, women, military veterans, disabled veterans, service-disabled veterans, people with disabilities and members of the LGBT+ community.

Ted Archer, Global Head of Business Partner Diversity for JPMorgan Chase, recently spoke about why diverse suppliers are good for business and the community.

Tell us about how you came to lead supplier diversity at JPMorgan Chase and what inspired you to get involved in this work?

I’ve been at JPMorgan Chase for seven years, and previously served on the firm’s Global Philanthropy team as Head of Small Business. Most of my career has been dedicated to building business programs and partnerships that drive economic growth, and helping underrepresented businesses succeed. Supplier diversity is an exceptional discipline because its impact goes beyond the transactional and advances the fundamental opportunity for businesses to scale. Through its buying activity, the firm is able to make dreams possible for business owners, their employees and their communities.

In what ways does supplier diversity create value for companies?

Supplier diversity provides corporations with access to innovation. Diverse businesses often bring new perspectives and solutions to business problems. They also know how to operate efficiently with limited resources, and are agile enough to tailor their services to suit your business needs. Secondly, supplier diversity contributes to talent acquisition and employee retention. Prospective employees, particularly millennials and members of Gen Z, are very interested in corporate citizenship and will leave a company that isn’t aligned with their values. Third, supplier diversity generates wealth in diverse communities. Diverse suppliers tend to hire within their local areas, providing jobs and incomes, lifting the overall economy. A prosperous and thriving community is good for business.

How are you re-thinking the way to approach supplier diversity, and what about this approach do you think would make supplier diversity more sustainable?

The formal practice of supplier diversity began in the mid-20^th century within a manufacturing and government procurement context. Supplier relationships were driven by pricing and product or service delivery.

However, an important component of supplier diversity is supplier development. Small and underrepresented businesses often don’t have access to the same resources, financing and contacts that large majority-owned companies do. Taking the time to build deeper relationships with these businesses enables you to identify other ways to support their growth including creating connections to networks that lead to contract opportunities, capital and other resources. Additionally, you should work closely with them as they navigate your organization. Reducing the complexity of working with a large company goes a long way in enabling the supplier to deliver their services successfully.

By moving away from framing procurement in transactional terms, not only do we grow diverse businesses, but we also drive value for corporations by increasing the number of strong, agile and innovative companies in our supply chains.

It’s also time to consider diverse businesses in a wider range of purchasing categories including technology and professional services. An intentional focus on leveling the playing field in future-facing industries enables us to identify businesses that are positioned for rapid growth, and higher profit margins, which could help close economic disparities in underserved communities, including the racial wealth gap.

How are you amplifying the impact of supplier diversity across the wider business community?

We have mobilized over 100 of our top suppliers, known as “Gold Suppliers,” to mirror the firm’s commitment to supplier diversity by enhancing their own supplier diversity programs and their efforts to include more diverse businesses in their supply chains over a three-year period.

Understanding that different companies have different levels of diversity program maturity, we are meeting them where they are and providing them with mentoring, coaching and education so they are better equipped to run a successful supplier diversity program of their own.

While we’re measuring spend increases, the larger purpose is to have these companies develop sustainable programs that will generate opportunity and growth for decades to come.
Over the last two years, nearly 90% of our Gold Suppliers have committed to spend increases generating more than $6 billion in new spend with underrepresented businesses. Additionally, 85% of the Gold suppliers enrolled in the firm’s supplier diversity mentorship program launched new supplier diversity programs in 2022.

How would a diverse business get started to work with large companies like JPMorgan Chase?

For businesses interested in providing services to companies in the private sector, the best first step is to become certified by a diverse business certifying organization. While many business owners are familiar with government diversity certifications, there are also certifications that are well recognized by private-sector corporations, such as the National Minority Supplier Development Council, which certifies businesses that are at least 51% owned and operated by an ethnic minority (Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American). Another organization is the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) which certifies woman-owned companies. They each have affiliates across the United States that provide services locally. There are also organizations that certify veterans, such as the National Veterans Business Development Council (NVBDC); businesses owned by people with disabilities (Disability:IN) and members of the LGBTQ+ community (National LGBT Chamber of Commerce). These organizations do more than provide a certificate. They provide a network of corporate executives and other diverse business owners who can help foster business growth.

However, certification alone will not ensure success. Business owners have to begin developing relationships with prospective corporate clients. Two ways to get started are: 1) leverage the certifying organizations. Throughout the year, they host conferences, matchmakers, seminars and webinars – all designed to provide business owners with information and enable them to meet and network with corporate executives. 2) Register with each prospective corporate client. Companies with active supplier diversity programs often have online registration portals through which they invite business owners to share their company history and capabilities. JPMorgan Chase has a Supplier Diversity Network which is a searchable database for our supplier diversity and sourcing teams to find new diverse businesses when contract opportunities come up.

Business owners should be prepared for the time it will take to get from first contact and registration with a corporation to actually executing a new business contract. It may take months, and even a year or two. Corporate purchasing is driven by business need so entrepreneurs should be prepared to develop a long-term strategy and cultivate relationships with procurement teams and supplier diversity leaders who can provide insight into upcoming opportunities.

For more, visit JPMorgan Chase’s Supplier Diversity Network

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

The post Diverse Suppliers Are Good for Business and the Community first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Study: Waiting Lists for Child Care Assistance Nearly Doubled

BLACKPRESS USA NEWSWIRE — “Since the expiration of tens of billions of dollars in federal child care funding in 2023 and 2024, an already fragile child care system has been pushed even closer to the brink.”
The post Study: Waiting Lists for Child Care Assistance Nearly Doubled appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 days ago

June 8, 2026

Oakland Post

By National Women’s Law Center

The National Women’s Law Center released its annual State Child Care Assistance Policies report, finding that the number of children placed on waiting lists for federally funded child care assistance nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025 — and that number has only continued to grow.

The report serves as a key resource for state lawmakers, advocates, and policymakers by tracking state child care assistance policies and identifying where states are strengthening support for families and early educators — or falling behind.

“This deeply troubling increase in the number of children on child care waiting lists is the result of a failure to invest in this crucial sector,” said Karen Schulman, senior director of state child care policy and author of the report. “Since the expiration of tens of billions of dollars in federal child care funding in 2023 and 2024, an already fragile child care system has been pushed even closer to the brink.”

Key findings in the report related to waiting lists for child care assistance include:

• 17 states had waiting lists or a freeze on intake for child care assistance in February 2025, up from 13 states in February 2024.

• Approximately 106,700 children nationwide were added to waiting lists between February 2024 and February 2025, bringing the total to 225,500 children in February 2025 — a 90 percent increase compared to February 2024.

• The numbers climbed even further between February 2025 and summer/fall 2025, with more than 175,000 additional children added to state waiting lists in just a few months — a 78 percent increase.

• At least seven states newly began placing families on waiting lists or freezing intake, while at least 10 additional states saw their waiting lists grow, after February 2025.

The report also includes state-by-state data on key child care assistance policies, including income eligibility limits, parent copayments, provider payment rates, and eligibility policies for parents searching for work.

Click the link to learn more: Warning Signs: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2025.

The post Study: Waiting Lists for Child Care Assistance Nearly Doubled appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Venus Williams Calls a Sabalenka Exit a Tragedy

ROLLING OUT — Crucially, Williams did not read the comment as a real farewell. She said she did not believe Sabalenka truly wanted to leave, calling such an outcome a loss for both the player and the sport.
The post Venus Williams Calls a Sabalenka Exit a Tragedy appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 days ago

June 7, 2026

Oakland Post

The seven-time major champion read frustration, not a real goodbye, in the world No. 1’s words

By David Kesiena | Rolling Out

When the world’s top-ranked player said she wanted to walk away from the sport, Venus Williams chose empathy over alarm.

Aryna Sabalenka’s blunt remark after her French Open quarterfinal collapse rattled plenty of fans, but Williams heard something different in it. The seven-time Grand Slam champion treated the comment as the raw reaction of a hurting athlete rather than a serious signal about her future.

The collapse that triggered the comment

Sabalenka looked headed for a routine win over Diana Shnaider. She took the opening set 6-3 and built a commanding lead in the second, climbing to 4-1 and later serving for the match at 5-4 while sitting just two points from victory.

Then everything unraveled. Shnaider stormed back to steal the second set 7-5 and bageled the world No. 1 in the third, with Sabalenka dropping 12 of the final 13 games in gusty conditions that reached around 26 mph. The 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 result sent Shnaider into her first Grand Slam semifinal and extended Sabalenka’s long wait for a maiden Roland Garros title.

In the aftermath, Sabalenka did not soften her feelings. She told reporters she had no thoughts and no emotions left and felt like quitting on the spot. She described being stuck in a deep, dark mental hole during the match, unable to find her way back.

What Venus Williams said about Sabalenka

Williams reacted with understanding. She admitted the moment made her sad and said she had been swept up in Sabalenka’s emotions, feeling a surge of empathy for her. She praised the Belarusian for laying everything bare on court, where every feeling shows.

Crucially, Williams did not read the comment as a real farewell. She said she did not believe Sabalenka truly wanted to leave, calling such an outcome a loss for both the player and the sport. Rather than scold her, Williams offered a gentle observation about the rhythm of professional tennis. She suggested players might benefit from a little more time to gather themselves before stepping in front of the cameras, a quiet acknowledgment that athletes are routinely asked to dissect painful defeats before the sting has faded.

Sabalenka walks it back

The story did not end on that bleak note. Within days, Sabalenka signaled she was not actually quitting, framing the press-conference outburst as heat-of-the-moment honesty rather than a plan. At the time of the loss she had also left the door open, saying she would see how she felt in a few days and hoped to get back on track mentally. The walk-back lined up with how Williams had read the situation from the start.

It is not the first time a Paris quarterfinal has pushed Sabalenka to her limit. In 2024 she exited at the same stage and skipped her press conference entirely because of illness, with the tour later releasing her quotes on her behalf. The pattern underscores how heavily this particular tournament has weighed on her despite deep runs in recent years.

For now, attention shifts to the grass. Wimbledon offers Sabalenka a quick chance to reset, and a strong showing there would turn this French Open meltdown into a footnote rather than a turning point.

Originally published by Rolling Out — https://rollingout.com.

The post Venus Williams Calls a Sabalenka Exit a Tragedy appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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COMMENTARY: Using Art, Healing, And Community to Transform Mental Health Dialogue

THE CAROLINIAN — Operating at the intersection of the arts and mental health, Darkness RISING uses music, storytelling, wellness programming, and community engagement to inspire healing while addressing barriers that have historically prevented many Black Americans from accessing mental health support.
The post COMMENTARY: Using Art, Healing, And Community to Transform Mental Health Dialogue appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 days ago

June 7, 2026

Oakland Post

By Judaea Ingram | Special to The Carolinian

RALEIGH, N.C. – Music filled the air as families danced through the crowd, children gathered around activity stations, and community members explored wellness resources from local organizations. Black-owned businesses lined the streets while people stopped for chair massages, conversations, and moments of connection inside the wellness suite.

At the center of the event stood a simple but powerful reminder:

“You Matter.”

For Darkness RISING, those words represent far more than a slogan. They reflect the organization’s mission to break the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community while creating spaces centered on healing, honesty, and hope.

Operating at the intersection of the arts and mental health, Darkness RISING uses music, storytelling, wellness programming, and community engagement to inspire healing while addressing barriers that have historically prevented many Black Americans from accessing mental health support.

The organization hosts a variety of programs and events throughout the year, including block parties, wellness workshops, mixers, kickoff events, community classes, and Darkness RISING: Live — a free annual arts and wellness festival now celebrating its ninth year.

The festival combines entertainment with healing-centered resources, featuring live music, dancing, singing, food trucks, Black vendors, children’s activities, mental health resources, wellness spaces, and opportunities for open conversations about mental health.

While the events may feel celebratory on the surface, organizers say the deeper purpose is creating safe spaces where people can feel comfortable discussing mental health without fear of judgment.

Darkness RISING also provides free nationwide resources, including a Black Mental Health Resource Packet, a Black Mental Health Provider Database, and its “Find Me a Therapist” initiative, which helps connect individuals with culturally competent care.

The organization’s work is rooted in addressing longstanding inequities that continue impacting mental health access within Black communities.

Historically, segregation, redlining, racial discrimination, incarceration, poverty, and unequal healthcare access have contributed to higher rates of behavioral health challenges while simultaneously limiting access to proper treatment and support. Darkness RISING approaches those issues through what organizers describe as a transformative justice lens, focusing on healing rather than punishment and creating equitable wellness opportunities for marginalized communities.

Its REBUILD program specifically supports justice-involved and formerly incarcerated people of color through free therapy and wellness support, while the REBUILD Youth program focuses on young people impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences, also known as ACEs.

For Rudolph, therapy became life-changing after decades of incarceration and years of rejection after returning home.

“Came home in 2015, started my own computer company, investing in real estate, did the normal thing and got some jobs here and there and was met with rejection after rejection and people telling me I am not a good person,” Rudolph shared. “Even had a rejection in church.”

He said one of the hardest battles became overcoming the mental barriers created during incarceration.

“I got in touch with a couple of friends, and they explained to me how I had to get over the mental hurdles and get rid of the way my prison mindset was in order to survive and become successful,” he said.

Rudolph later moved to North Carolina hoping for a fresh start, but the struggle continued.

“Things were looking bad,” he said. “Could not get a job. The struggle was real.”

Eventually, therapy and support through organizations like Darkness RISING helped begin his healing process. He said working alongside other justice-involved men through therapy gave him the ability to rebuild mentally while finding community with people who understood his experiences.

Stories like Rudolph’s reflect the foundation behind Darkness RISING’s mission: ensuring people feel seen, supported, and worthy of healing regardless of their background or circumstances.

Community members who attend the organization’s events often describe them as emotionally transformative.

Some participants say Darkness RISING encouraged them to seek therapy for the first time, while others say the organization gave them a safe space to openly discuss struggles they previously kept hidden.

“I have been encouraged by the beautiful, generous, brave and open individuals who come together and use their talents to create art, share personal experiences and provide hope to those who may be struggling with mental health,” one participant shared.

By combining art, wellness, education, and community outreach, Darkness RISING continues changing how mental health conversations happen within the Black community.

Not through silence.

But through healing, honesty, connection, and joy.

Originally published by The Carolinian — https://caro.news.

The post COMMENTARY: Using Art, Healing, And Community to Transform Mental Health Dialogue appeared first on BlackPressUSA.