The Background Rationale for Committed Action

On June 10, 2010, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette in an article by Harold Miller reported that the Pittsburgh Region was ranked ‘dead last’ on indicators of racial and economic parity in comparison to 39 other regions in the country with regard to the Black working poor and African American children. A 2012 analysis prepared by the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board reported that African Americans in the Pittsburgh Region make less than other groups in the same sector of work.

The lack of equity and inclusion of African Americans and people of color in our Region’s workforce is also quite evident at the professional level. According to a 2012 survey conducted by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), nationwide minorities account for 6.71% of law firm partners and 20.32% of law firm associates. By comparison in Pittsburgh, minorities account for only 2.03% of the 395 partners and 8.90% of law firm associates based on information submitted by eight firms with offices in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh had the second lowest percentage of minority partners of the 42 cities represented in the survey.
The problems to be addressed by the Corporate Equity & Inclusion Roundtable are also evident at the national level in that the country is experiencing the largest wealth gap between whites and minorities of the last quarter century. According to the 2010 Census Bureau Report Whites have 20 times the wealth of African Americans and 18 times the wealth of Hispanics.
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The Corporate Equity & Inclusion Roundtable Partners agree that the time is ripe for increased dialogue and deliberate identification and implementation of effective strategies and policies among all stakeholders which will in turn create a common brand to market the Pittsburgh Region as a region with a strong and meaningful commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.