View as Webpage June 2023 Newsletter

Hello

Amanda,

We need Social Workers to help fix our housing issue

When I was young growing up in South Central Los Angeles, I loved a gloomy ballad sung to perfection by R&B crooner Luther Vandross. The piece had a haunting refrain which is also the title of the song - A House is Not a Home.

April is Fair Housing Month and as always it is an opportunity to reflect on our myriad attempts to provide high quality safe affordable housing. It was well known that unaffordable, overcrowded, or unhealthy housing has had a negative impact on families.

In 1968, in the wake of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, the Fair Housing Act was signed by President Lyndon Baines Johnson.

Civil rights activists were elated and thought that the passage of the Fair Housing Act would lead to the residential desegregation of American society. It prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, sex, (and later) disabilities and family status.   

It was thought that housing would become more available and affordable, leading to safe homes that would lead to integrated communities. Over half a century later, secure, safe, and dependable housing is still a problem.

A House is Not a Home.

Affordable housing was once part of the corporate investment in workers and company towns were prevalent. After World War 2, companies got out of the housing business and left the problem of fair affordable housing to the federal government. Yet decades of legislation and governmental policies to provide adequate housing for all haven’t made problems disappear.

For example, the Levitts, a family of developers, created Levittowns that became one of the nation’s most famous suburbs, providing cute houses at affordable prices. But it had a whites only policy.

There is a long NIMBY history of public opposition to providing affordable housing in nonpoor areas. When I consider our failed attempts to create not only affordable shelter but welcoming homes and communities, I think of those Vandros’s lyrics.

I also wonder should social workers become more involved in fair housing issues or even more broadly in urban planning. After all we understand the price of housing insecurity – poorer health and educational outcomes and more violence. 

It isn’t a new concept to involve social workers.

The Public Housing Convention (PHC) was founded in part by Mary Kingsbury Simkhovitch, a social worker in New York City in 1902. The purpose of the organization was to bring together social workers and housing experts to lobby on the state and federal levels for housing legislation.

In 1936 Senator Robert Wagner addressed the PHC and talked about the connection between societal ham and poor housing. “It has long been known that many of the evils confronting philanthropy and education are rooted in bad living conditions.”         

Home ownership is still a major part of the American dream.

But the marginalized, including minorities, have been left behind. Rasheeda Philips, formerly of Community Legal Services in Philadelphia and now PolicyLink’s Director of Housing, said, “Under constant threat of displacement from their homes, and often occupied with planning how to financially survive the next day, week, or month, Black families are often left unable to dream about and plan for the future.”

After a half century we should have so much more than a sad ballad to show for our efforts. 

Chad Dion Lassiter, MSW

Executive Director

PHRC on the Road: Building Pennsylvania's Beloved Community

PHRC is launching a statewide tour to meet with communities in every county of Pennsylvania. It will serve as an opportunity to better our Beloved Community and create partnerships with local leaders and organizations. The first two stops of the tour have been announced. Please join us if you can!

• Tuesday, June 6, 5:30-7 p.m.
• Room 108, Free Library of Philadelphia, Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA.
• Tuesday, June 13, 5:30-7p.m.
• YWCA of Lancaster, 110 N. Lime Street, Lancaster, PA.
• Register here.

PHRC is still looking for locations to host upcoming sessions, anyone interested in partnering with the PHRC should contact Amanda Brothman at [email protected]. 

AFFH Double-Down: PHRC’s path to addressing systemic housing issues

By: Adrian Garcia

Director of Fair Housing & Commercial Property Division

In April of this year the Fair Housing and Commercial Property Division launched for distribution its State of Fair Housing in the Commonwealth White Paper. The white paper put, in writing, the existing and ever-growing housing disparities that currently exist throughout the commonwealth.

The White paper offers a sobering reality of the work needed if we are to engage upon a clear path to correcting it. The paper makes actionable recommendations for PHRC staff, commissioners, legislators, and fair housing partners. The key recommendations are the following:

• PHRC Commissioners should pursue implementing source of income protections through the regulatory process.
• State legislators should improve housing condition protections for tenants through strengthening the Landlord-Tenant Act of 1951 to include a statewide code enforcement.
• State legislators should improve housing access for Pennsylvanians by increasing funding for affordable and middle-market housing.
• PHRC should actively monitor housing situations for issues impacting fair housing choice, identifying issues through advisory councils and local partners, and pursuing agency-initiated complaints when merited.

The housing disparities faced by many of the commonwealth’s inhabitants are rooted in the systemic and discriminatory patterns of segregation and exclusion of the past. There is no question that redlining still impacts the commonwealth’s housing landscape today. The lack of investment, environmental issues, dilapidating housing stock, generational wealth disparities, health disparities among other issues, are a product of complacency, neglect, and/or ignorance of what Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing is.

The State of Fair Housing in the Commonwealth White Paper is PHRC’s first step on its path to addressing these issues through intergovernmental partnership development. After all, we all know the problems exist, but how to fix them is another issue all together. The PHRC can and should embrace its unique role in addressing some of the issues within its purview and authority. The fair Housing & Commercial property Division will assist by connecting with intergovernmental partners that play a vital role in housing policies and funding of housing entities, to explore ways in which training, and technical guidance on issues of affirmatively furthering fair housing can become a habit for all governmental agencies that play a role in the housing space. This is how the PHRC doubles-down on social justice housing matters.

The PHRC has begun a series of collaborative conversations on issues of appraisal bias, insurance redlining, source of income protection research, and rental property maintenance with respective with our respective intergovernmental partners.

The rationale is simple, those affected most by the negative impacts of housing inequality fall within the protected classes of the PA Human Relations Act and action must be taken to ensure the health and safety of the commonwealth and its inhabitants. 

In honor of Disability Pride month and the 33^rd anniversary of the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act, the PHRC will host a disABILITY Conference on July 20, 2023, at the Hilton Hotel in Harrisburg. The event will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will also be live-streamed.

The planning committee includes employees from all three PHRC regional offices. The theme of the conference is employment for people with disabilities. There will be two panels, 2 presentations with demonstrations and a keynote speaker. One panel will focus on best practices for employers, another panel will focus on government services/programs that help people with disabilities obtain and maintain employment. One presentation and demonstration will focus on technology that is available to Pennsylvania residents with disabilities and one will focus on the use of service animals.

In addition to the panels, there will be vendor tables so that participants can learn about other resources available in their communities. The keynote speaker will also be selling copies of his book, Challenge the Moment. Any vendors interested in having a table should complete the form here. Space is limited so complete the registration early.

The event is FREE to attend. However, participants must register! Participant registration will open on Monday, June 5. 

PHRC protects the rights of all

By: Amanda Brothman

Communications Director

As we enter Pride Month, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) would like to take this opportunity to remind LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians about their protections against discrimination in education, employment, housing, and public accommodations. 

The PHRC is empowered by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to investigate complaints of discrimination on the basis of sex, which includes:

•  Pregnancy Status
• Childbirth Status
• Breastfeeding Status
• Sex Assigned at Birth
• Gender Identity or Expression
• Affectional or Sexual Orientation
• Differences in Sex Development

Examples of sex-based discrimination include:

• Refusing to rent a property to someone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Firing a person because they are pregnant.
• Creating school policies that could provide different treatment for students based on their sex.
• Retaliation for filing a complaint or opposing unlawful behavior.

According to the PHRC 2022 Annual Report, during financial year 2021-2022, the PHRC received 16 complaints based on gender identity/transgender, and 21 complaints based on sexual orientation.

The PHRC has considered the LGBTQ+ community a protected class since 2018. In 2022, the Independent Regulatory Review Commission approved proposed PHRC regulations to expand the definition of the protected class ‘sex.’

These new regulations are currently still in the review process and not yet final, but once published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, they will become effective within 60 days. 

Are we truly Americans?

By: Kurt Jung

Director of Enforcement 

Asian Americans have always been subjected to discrimination throughout the history of the United States. Such discrimination has been rooted in the notion that those of Asian descent are foreigners and somehow not American. In corporate America, and in government, many Asians face discriminatory behaviors from management and their peers. They are thought of as outsiders, are marginalized by their co-workers, and in many cases wrongfully accused of malfeasance by their non-Asian counterparts in the workplace and in their communities. Despite the fact that many of them work hard, many see them as a threat to the workplace. Asians Americans are always asked, “How long have you been here?” and “Where are you originally from?” They are praised on well they can speak English. Such microaggressions communicate that they are foreigners, they do not belong here and they are not American.

In 2018, in his attempt to limit the number of citizens of color, President Donald Trump announced that he intended to end birthright citizen by executive order. Birthright citizenship is a right that has been guaranteed by the Constitution for over 150 years. The 14^th Amendment, passed in 1866, states that: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.”  President Trump did not count on the fact that there was an existing Supreme Court decision on this issue.

In 1895, a Chinese American man who was born in San Francisco to immigrant Chinese parents, left the United States on business in China.  He understood his right to be a birthright citizen pursuant to the 14th Amendment. However, when he returned at the border he was detained. Even after presenting papers proving that he was a birthright citizen, John H. Wise, a White customs agent, declared him to be a non-citizen because his parents were not citizens. Ark did not have a country to return to and challenged the government’s denial of his birthright citizenship. In 1898, he appealed his case to the United States Supreme Court. The high Court ruled that “Wong Kim Ark is born in the United States and hence is a birthright citizen.” This ruling ensured that all citizens born on United States soil were citizens. 

However, racism toward Asians in America continues as the ongoing notion that they are not Americans continues to grow in the United States.  During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans were accused of being the cause of the deaths and sickness of Americans. Such racism resulted on attacks on innocent people. The words, “Go back where you came from!” echoed in cities throughout the country. It did not seem to matter whether you were an American as the bigots focused on the that their targets were Asian. It may be many years until such acceptance is normalized.

The equation to an urban village

By: Todd Schwartz

Philadelphia Regional Office

I have been intrigued by the field of urban planning since the early 1990’s. Living in Philadelphia, where the vestiges of our industrial past cry not to be ignored. I wanted to explore if smart urban planning can be a catalyst to poverty alleviation as well as bringing our unique cultures together. The Ancient Romans spoke of “genius loci,” or the spirit of a place, when referring to the great places of the world. The “spirit of a place” probably meant that the city had to have its own energy and culture in order to attract the masses. They were probably referring to what are now Athens, Rome, Paris, London, take your pick. Fast forward to the 21^st Century and you will still find that the “genius loci” are in those cities. That is, they are still built to accommodate the human environment. 

Transportation planning in European cities works harder than the American counterpart to make sure the human element- the sense of place- does not leave the equation. In Europe, the modus-operandi are not just highways and automobiles, it’s about people, most notably the pedestrian. European leaders have long been addressing issues that can preserve the vitality of their communities, such as the preservation of historic areas, as well as the expansion of pedestrian zones, improvement of transit systems, preservation of green spaces, addition of bike lanes and encouragement of multi-modal forms of transportation.

The conventional answer to the equation of why city planners in the United States take a different, less equitable approach than their European counterparts is that European cities are much older and, therefore, must cater to the individual rather than the automobile, as their streetscape predate automotive technology. This may be true for some cities in the United States, but what about older cities, such as Philadelphia? There are at least ten (10) surface parking lots within two blocks of 110 N. 8^th Street (PHRC’s Philadelphia office), most are unused. In addition, there are also no less than six (6) viable modes of transportation in the immediate vicinity. Despite being one of the most equitable and inclusive transit friendly areas of the city, residents mention that “lack of parking” as a significant reason to deter development. Which is quite contrary to the facts.

I do not want to give the impression that we have totally capitulated to the automotive first way of planning. Rather, there has been a renaissance in downtown living that started at the beginning of this century. People are realizing that our current model of suburban development is not economically viable and potentially socially and environmentally destructive. Our nation’s sprawl-generated transportation system consumes over 60 percent of the nation’s fossil fuels, almost half of which is imported. Not to mention lost hours of being stuck in traffic. Fortunately, transportation projects are now viewed to restore the sense of community and combat decentralization. We finally got the memo that wider roads are not a panacea for our societal problems.

Transit Oriented Development (development that is ¼ of a mile from a public transit mode) is being frequently introduced as a way we should plan our communities. The idea is to concentrate community growth around transit systems, so that residents are within a 10-minute walk of shopping, employment, and transportation. This technique is about developing communities so that there is a central focus that unites people. An objective that is analogous with the mission of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

The stigma of mental health just may be killing people

By: Morgan Williams

Deputy Chief Counsel

According to the Center for Disease Control, 942,000 Americans took their own lives in 2020.[1] In 2020, suicide was within the top ten of leading causes of death in the United States for Americans between the ages of five to sixty-four. The number two cause of death for children between the ages of ten and fourteen. [2] As we reflect on Mental Health Awareness Month, let us all remember that untreated depression can lead to fatal results. A 2020 study conducted by the National Institute of Health found that 8.4% percent of Americans have had at least one major depressive episode. [3] This statistic shoots up to 15.9% in individuals identifying as two or more races. These numbers are likely underestimated because of the stigma surrounding mental health. This stigma causes suffering individuals to be reluctant to seek out the help that they need. They may feel that they are not understood by peers and family members, and perhaps even feel disappointed in themselves for not “snapping out” of their condition. 

Think about how this may translate to your life and to those around you. When you are asked how you are feeling or when you ask that same question of your loved ones, how likely is the response to this question primarily about physical health? You can probably remember times when your loved one shared with you a description of the knee replacement they needed or the physical therapy they were getting. How many times do you recall you or a loved one answering this type of inquiry with feelings of depression? Are you one of the many Americans who suffer from depression? Do you discuss this openly with others? How comfortable would you be telling a friend that you were so depressed you spent the day in bed crying? Many of us have experienced these things, but how often do we talk about them?

Those who suffer from chronic depression and other mental health disorders are no less in need of medical attention and support than those with visible impairments. Just because you cannot see their hurt does not mean it is not there. Like other medical impairments there is treatment that may or may not be effective, may take a period of time to be effective, and may be effective for a period and then stop being effective. Like those with physical illness, an individual with mental illness is deserving of compassion and grace. For common signs and symptoms of depression, I encourage you to read https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007 and to talk to your doctor about how you are feeling if you think you may be depressed. 

Helpful Resources

Commonwealth Employees: Commonwealth employees and their family members may also access services through the State Employee Assistance Program (“SEAP”) at https://www.hrm.oa.pa.gov/workplace-support/seap/Pages/default.aspx . 

Bullying: Parents of children who are depressed because of chronic bullying can call Bullying Prevention Consultation Line at 1-866-716-0424.

Suicidal Thoughts: If you or someone you love are struggling with thoughts of suicide you may call “988” or visit https://988lifeline.org/ or National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK), or call 211, or 911; https://preventsuicidepa.org/contact-us/ .

Please remember, you are not alone.

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/LeadingCauses.html (last accessed May 16, 2023)

[2] https://wisqars.cdc.gov/data/lcd/home (last accessed May 16, 2023)

[3] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression (last accessed May 16, 2023)

Who We Are film reflections

By: Desiree Chang

Director of Education

April brought the opportunity for what is planned to be a quarterly PHRC staff development event. I, along with Special Assistant Rojas, conducted showings of the film “Who We Are: A chronical of racism in America” at all three regional offices and to Central office staff. The film is created and moderated by former ACLU Deputy Chief Counsel, Jeffrey Robinson. Mr. Robinson was motivated to create the film after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Due to the highly sensitive nature of some scenes as well as the earnest, direct approach to the content, the film was only featured in five (5) metropolitan areas at its release in 2021. The film was the catalyst to a conversation at Special Assistant and my first meeting of each other. At the end of that conversation, a plan for an Agency-wide screening was born.

The following are anonymous excerpts from staff who participated in the showings.

General Reflection:

"I was in the first session of the film. It was disturbing to me to see people hanging from trees and hearing some of the stories about what happened to these people. I can’t imagine the horror these people and their families faced. I think we’ve made progress in combating racism, but I think we still have a way to go. I think there will always be those who need to feel that they are better than someone else or some group of people. One of my concerns is that as we make progress in one area, that hatred and bigotry will be transferred from one race, nationality, ethnic group, etc. to another."

Do you think Racism is a problem in America?

"Yes, I do. My grandfather had to leave Mississippi because he spoke back to a Caucasian gentleman, that was in 1944. My father tried to purchase a home in a well to do area and every real estate agent kept showing him homes in the intercity of Detroit. My father decided to secure the loan first and maybe that would get an agent to help him. His home loan interest rate was 3.5 basis points higher than his Caucasian coworkers even though his credit score was higher. That was in 1980. In 1987, I joined the United States Army, and I was stationed at FT Benning, Georgia and was told during in-processing/Orientation that no soldiers were allowed to enter Phoenix City, Alabama because of racial tensions. I thought America turned a corner when Obama won the election, and that African Americans were finally accepted.  But when he won his second term in office; I never saw so many people that I worked with so angry. The morning after the election no one spoke to anyone. I could hear an ink pen drop in the hallway outside of our office. No matter what he accomplished it wasn’t good enough. Which took me back to a conversation I had with former soldiers that where stationed overseas in Germany and Japan when I asked them why did they choose to stay after they exited the military? They all uttered a similar statement to what other’s people said after World War Two. I’m not treated and viewed in a negative light here like I was in the states because of the color of my skin.  I must admit that I found Europe and Asia to be more tolerant on my presence then in the US where I was born. In August 2012, I walked into PennDOT to get my daughter a driver training manual and one of the two security guards reached for his gun, I turned around to see what was about to happen behind me and realized that I was the only person walking towards them. The officer that reached for his gun said that I was moving and looking hostile. People that know me know that I’m not a hostile person. Today I refuse to watch the news because of the things displayed, Georgia redistricting to control the elections so Republicans can win seats in black areas, to me that sounds like red lining with a twist. Florida removing books and detailing what can and cannot be taught in schools, to me it sounds like Germany book burning.  Florida and other states want to teach American history without talking about slavery. I don’t recall having a discussion on slavery where it made anyone feel bad because it was a five-minute section. It wasn’t until we saw the movie roots that made kids in my generation upset. Yet, the facts have always been there, just unknown to us. This is what I call watering down history. Why teach it at all if you refuse to tell what really happened. In Mississippi, Republicans passed a bill to create separate, unelected court in majority-Black city. This sounds like Germany 1930-1945. Yet, it’s a fact that Hitler sent people to the US to study segregation, how it works and how to implement it."

General Reflection:

"After the film, the very last question we were asked was “where do you find hope?” I loved that the film opened with a quote from George Orwell’s novel 1984. I find hope in the evolution of dialogue. The spaces and conversations that are growing today were practically unheard of a few decades ago. We can draw a straight correlation between words written by theorists, scientists, philosophers, and novelists to today’s expansion of those spaces and conversations. For example, Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score, published in 2014, could arguably be hailed as the starting point for trauma-informed care practices that we are finally seeing in systems today. Three years later, in 2017, we see Resmaa Menakem’s My Grandmother’s Hands hit shelves bringing together the nervous system research and his experience as a racial justice healer. Together, these two bodies of work have expanded our understanding and dialogue around individual and generational trauma and our personal and collective responsibilities to advance our emotional and physical growth on behalf of generations to come. I find hope in the evolution of “safer” spaces to share ideas that spark our own inner healing and growth. And am so grateful to be a part of a workspace community that is willing to engage in discomfort – there is power there."

What do you feel would help to advance the social justice needle in combating racism for the next generation?

"Actively work to dismantle structures that uphold/reinforce white supremacist ideals and replace them with programs that put everyone on more equal footing. For example- redefine who a first responder is. Put money into addressing the root causes of crime and violence instead of temporarily addressing an immediate problem (or exacerbating it). De-escalation training. Expand drug courts nationwide and prioritize recovery. Invest in empowerment and reintegration programs for the formerly incarcerated. Invest in programs for the unhoused that restore shelter, safety, and dignity. Update our immigration laws so that noncitizens have the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to our workforce and our economy in a way that is visible to all, while providing a pathway to permanent residence and citizenship."

These are just a small piece of the robust conversations had. The film showing was intended to encourage a dialogue, not just among staff and colleagues but hopefully within homes and social circles. The mission of the PHRC is to eradicate discrimination in the commonwealth. To be better fit for our respective roles in order to accomplish this goal, we must be continuously curious. As it was discussed in the showings, we may not all have the same personal interest or niche however, we collectively share in the desire to make the commonwealth (and American society as a whole) safe and equitable for all.



On behalf of Special Assistant Rojas and myself, we appreciated your thought-provoking discussions. I encourage you all to keep the conversation going. 

I am happy and excited to be here with all of you

By: Lauren Daman

Director of Human Resources

Hello all!

My name is Lauren Curtis Daman, Human Resources Director of the PA Human Relations Commission. I am happy and excited to be here with all of you. I was born and raised in Harrisburg, PA. I graduated from Bishop McDevitt High School (go Crusaders). I went off to New York City and Maryland to live for a while. I then returned to Harrisburg, PA and graduated from Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, PA with a bachelor’s degree in Corporate Communications.

As I was finishing my degree, I worked full time at PA Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), while working part time at COACH in Hershey. And yes; I have a lot of handbags!! This taught me time management skills, communication skills , and consistency. NEVER QUIT. I started a family, and I am a mother of one GREAT young lady. I worked as an HR Analyst in the Talent Management and Organizational Development Division for the PA Liquor Control Board; I was then promoted to an HR Analyst in the Labor Relations Division for the Department of Corrections. And now, here I am working with PA Human Relations Commission…I am lucky!

I want to say thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way in both my personal and professional aspirations. My mantra for life is: Treat people the way you want to be treated.

PHRC is looking for Social Justice Ambassadors

In May, PHRC announced the launch of the Social Justice Ambassador program. PHRC invites Pennsylvania residents and/or employees who support the mission to cultivate a Pennsylvania where all people can live, work and learn free from unlawful discrimination to apply for ambassadorship.

PHRC envisions at least one Ambassador for each county in Pennsylvania to serve that area’s unique community needs. Each Ambassador will be appointed by the PHRC to serve as a liaison and an extension of its outreach effort within a community. The Ambassador will act on a non-partisan basis to refer citizens for services and to assist the Commission in exploring training, outreach, and event opportunities in their respective community to further its anti-discrimination efforts in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, and education.

Those interested in becoming a PHRC Social Justice Ambassador, must submit an application to ra-[email protected].  

References will be requested and checked to verify the individual’s submitted information. Prior to appointment, the Ambassador will attend an interview panel.

To learn more about the PHRC Social Justice Ambassador Program, visit the PHRC website, www.phrc.pa.gov.

PHRC Star Awards

CONGRATULATIONS to all of the PHRC 2022 Social Justice Award recipients!

• Supervisor of Year: Paula Sirochman
• Social Justice Team of Year: Pittsburgh Compliance Team
• New Employee: Amanda Martin
• Social Justice Administrator of Year: Debbie Walters
• Outreach Award: Brittany Millinger
• Social Justice Lawyer of Year: John Brubaker
• Regional Employees of Year
• Central- Zulay Rojas
• Harrisburg- Gloria Richardson
• Philadelphia- Shalonda Cooke
• Pittsburgh- Carlos Alejandre
• Excellence in Investigation
• Harrisburg - Waydee Rivera
• Philadelphia - Shalonda Cooke
• Pittsburgh - Shaheeda Wilks
• Executive Director Award: Kurt Jung
• The Homer C. Floyd Pinnacle Award: Commission Chair, M. Joel Bolstein
• Executive Director Chad Dion Lassiter received an award for his five-years of service at the PHRC.

Our amazing staff was recognized on May 8 during a virtual event. On May 22, several winning staff members were honored during our monthly Commission meeting.

Upcoming PHRC events

To register for June's event, click here.

Outside PHRC events

City & State PA is holding its Third Annual Diversity Summit, which will offer industry executives, public sector leaders and academics a half-day conference dedicated to fostering business partnerships between the state and local government, prime contractors, and small diverse businesses (SDBs).

Executive Director Chad Dion Lassiter will be panelist during the summit.

It's happening Wednesday, June 15, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Hilton Penn's Landing.

To purchase tickets, click here.

To register, click here.

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