More than 60 years ago, Rochester embarked on a bold experiment to create companies owned, managed, and staffed largely by African Americans that would uplift the broader community, but the promise of “Black capitalism” fell short.

In June 2022, the Levine Center to End Hate hosted Black Prosperity: a two-part panel (moderated by our Steering Committee member Adrian Hale) examining Rochester’s history of discrimination and exploring the ways in which we can ensure equity for African American workers, business owners, and entrepreneurs.