After a year hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce (FWMBCC) 40th Annual Luncheon is back on for this year as a hybrid event, with both in-person and virtual guests.
Dr. Kase L. Lawal, one of the wealthiest black men in America, will be the keynote speaker at the luncheon which will be held at noon Friday, June 25, at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Fort Worth, the chamber said in an announcement.
Lawal is the non-executive chairman of CAMAC International Corporation, a global corporation with interest in banking, engineering Services and crude oil and refined products. He retired in 2016 as chairman and CEO of Erin Energy, a publicly listed energy company on the New York Stock Exchange.
He is chairman of Unity National Bank board of directors, the only nationally licensed and federally insured African American-owned bank in Texas and Georgia.
“We thought Dr. Lawal, as head of the only black-owned bank in Texas, would be the perfect speaker for our luncheon this year,” said FWMBCC President and CEO Devoyd Jennings. “Our chamber has spent much of this past year meeting with area bankers about how they can be more involved in the black community and with African American businesses.”
Lawal will speak on the topic “Banking Relationships in Times Like These.”
He is a member of the National Urban League’s Board of Directors and the Fisk University Board of Trustees.
Lawal earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Texas Southern University and a master’s of business administration in finance and marketing from Prairie View A&M University. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in philosophy from Fort Valley State University and a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa from Texas Southern University.
Seating is limited at the in-person event because of COVID-19 health protocols, the chamber said. The in-person site will accommodate only about 160 people (compared to the 500 to 700 who would normally attend the luncheon).
Those tables, with only six people each, will be assigned mostly to the corporate sponsors of the organization. Other members and supporters will be able to attend virtually at no cost.
Fort information on joining the luncheon virtually, check out the FWMBCC website: www.fwmbcc.org