Today the U.S. Department of Commerce released the 2023 update to its Equity Action Plan , in coordination with the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government equity agenda. This Equity Action Plan is part of the Department’s efforts to implement the President’s Executive Order on “ Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government ,”...

Network Expected to Provide Access and Opportunity for Black Americans Coinciding with Black History Month, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo hosted the launch of the HBCU CHIPS Network yesterday, a collaboration between several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the Georgia Institute of Technology. This collaboration will help coordinate the resources of these colleges and...

Thank you for that introduction, Kylie. I am grateful for your leadership as the Chief Opportunity and Inclusion Officer at CHIPS. It’s my honor to welcome you to the Department of Commerce, especially as we observe Black History Month. It’s hard to overstate how transformative the CHIPS for America program is going to be for communities across the country. Semiconductors have become integral to...

Thank you for that introduction. Welcome, everyone, to the Commerce Department. And thank you all for your willingness to serve on this commission. America’s growing and vibrant Hispanic communities are a driving force in our economy. I saw it firsthand during my time as Governor of Rhode Island, where the Hispanic population grew by nearly 40 percent in the last decade. More than 375,000 of our...

Today, Donald R. Cravins, Jr., Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development, announced the formation of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) Minority Business Enterprise Advisory Council. As stated in The Minority Business Development Act of 2021, this council will advise and assist MBDA in their mission to promote the growth of minority...

Last week, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves traveled to Wisconsin, highlighting the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic place-based programs addressing systemic inequalities. Graves also facilitated discussions with community leaders about the Biden Administration and the Commerce Department’s investments in climate resilience, internet access, and trade. The trip underscored the...

Minority entrepreneurs make critical contributions to our economy generating nearly $2 trillion in revenue each year. However, an equity gap remains between minority and non-minority-owned businesses. Last week, Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves spoke about the need to close this equity gap at the 40 th Annual Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week . Hosted by Commerce’s Minority Business...

Hello everyone! I’m honored to join you all here at MED Week. I’m particularly pleased to welcome not only our federal partners, members of the Department of Commerce family, and our minority businesses to this gathering, but also our friends from the National Minority Supplier Development Council, who have teamed up with MBDA for the first time this year to commemorate this historic milestone for...

Eleven years ago today, the United States joined nations around the world in establishing the International Day of the Girl to acknowledge the struggles facing young girls and strengthen their commitment to expanding resources and opportunities to help girls and women succeed and thrive. Today, First Lady Jill Biden hosted an event to honor 15 girls in the U.S. who are leading change by tackling...

This month marks the somber 6th anniversary of Hurricane Maria’s landfall on Puerto Rico, an unfathomable tragedy that shook the core of the island and left an indelible mark on its people. The scale of the disaster was overwhelming, and its impact will be felt for generations. Lives were lost, houses were flattened, infrastructure crippled, and essential services rendered inaccessible. Through my...