TUSKEGEE, AL – August 23, 2023 – The National Business League (NBL) is pleased to announce the relocation of its national headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Tuskegee, Alabama. This historic move brings the NBL back to its roots, where it was founded by Booker T. Washington in 1900 as the National Negro Business League. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at the new NBL National Headquarters, located at the Tuskegee History Center, as part of the pre-conference activities for the upcoming 123rd National Black Business Conference to be held August 23-27, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Hotel in Atlanta, GA.
Dr. Kenneth Lee Harris, the 16th National President/CEO of the NBL, expressed enthusiasm about the relocation, stating, “As part of the National Business League re-organization, the nation’s first and oldest trade association for Black businesses is returning to its home base to relaunch the organization’s national and global strategy. This move is particularly significant as the NBL approaches its 125th-anniversary in 2025 and re-established itself as the nation’s venerable organization for Black business in the world.”
The 123rd National Black Business Conference, in collaboration with the National Alliance for Black Business (NABB), cofounded by the National Business League, the National Black Chamber of Commerce, and the World Conference of Mayors and Historic Black Towns and Settlements will feature the Tuskegee Day Booker T. Washington Tour and Founders Activities. This event took place on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, in Tuskegee, AL. The NBL cordially invited the public to attend the official ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new NBL National Headquarters, where esteemed Civil Rights Attorney Fred Gray, founder of the Tuskegee History Center, will welcome the NBL and its officials.
Founded during a time of racial discrimination and limited opportunities for the Black community, the National Negro Business League, later renamed the National Business League, aimed to foster economic development, independence, and empowerment. Booker T. Washington’s visionary leadership led to the promotion of business ventures and economic self-sufficiency among Black entrepreneurs and professionals. Through networking, education, and advocacy, the National Business League paved the way for economic growth and autonomy within the Black community, as it does today.
For more information about the upcoming 123rd National Black Business Conference and the National Business League, please visit www.nationalblackbusinessconference.com and www.nationalbusinessleague.org.
