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Maggie Anderson

Maggie Anderson

Author, Our Black Year & Founder, Empowerment Experiment

In 2009, global media covered Maggie Anderson, Congressman John Lewis’ former aide, President Barack Obama’s.

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Bio

Full Bio

In 2009, global media covered Maggie Anderson, Congressman John Lewis’ former aide, President Barack Obama’s former law student, and a successful corporate executive, as she lived out her public pledge to “buy Black” only for an entire year. Her family was threatened, and her mother was dying of pancreatic cancer. She took this stand raising two babies and with no Black owned grocery store. Maggie’s historic year AKA “The Empowerment Experiment” (“EE”) resulted in an unprecedented amount of mainstream media, university, and corporate attention specifically on Black owned businesses, systemic racism in the American economy, and economic inequality; tens of millions in revenue for and deposits into Black businesses and banks; a landmark Kellogg study proving 1 million jobs could be created if Black firms received a small increase in support; and her critically acclaimed book, Our Black Year. Since EE, Maggie has given thousands of speeches and interviews hosted by the most respected corporations, universities, trade/ professional/ faith/ civic and rights institutions, and media. Millions have shed tears while taking notes as she teaches the victorious yet violent history of Black businesses and Black economic unity; preaches about economic justice and empowerment; and shares EE, and how it has since changed and ‘saved’ her life, effectively curing her muscular dystrophy.

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Topics

Topics

The Empowerment Experiment: My Year of Buying Black

Conscious Consumerism: Make a Difference with Your Dollars

Race & the Economy

Videos

Videos

My black year: Maggie Anderson at TEDxGrandRapids
OUR BLACK YEAR Author, Maggie Anderson Keynotes the Black Changemaker Series on Economic Empowerment

Books

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