Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1542608
NATIONAL POLICY ALLIANCE AND BLACK MEETINGS & TOURISM LAUNCH 250 TH ANNIVERSAY OF BLACK AMERICA CELEBRATION IN 2026 The National P o l i c y Alliance (NPA), co-founded by 'Mayor' Johnny Ford , Tuskegee, Alabama, is proud to announce a strategic col- laboration with Black Meetings & Tourism (BM- &T), headquartered in Southern California, and The World Conference of Mayors and Historic Towns & Settle-ments, to celebrate and honor the enduring lega- cy of Black history, culture, and civic leadership in America. As the United States prepares to commemorate its 250th anniversary of independence in 2026, NPA, in partnership with Black Meetings & Tourism, is launch- ing a nationwide initiative to recognize and uplift 250 years of Black American contributions to the building of this nation. Titled "250 Years of Black America: We Built This," the initiative will feature a series of national conversations, educational programming, and intergen- erational history projects that connect elders and youth in preserving and sharing the stories that have shaped Black America and this nation as a whole. The campaign will highlight the resilience, innovation, and leadership of Black communities across generations and regions of the country. The obser- vance will culminate with a national celebration con- vening in Washington, DC, on July 4, 2026, aligning with the nation's Semiquincen-tennial and affirming that "Black his- tory is Amer-ican history." According to Solomon and Gloria Herbert, pub- lishers of Black Meetings & Tourism magazine, the exclusive international trade publication for, and about the $145+ billion African-American segment of the $2.7 trillion dollar U.S. Travel industry, BM&T is concurrently introducing Travel Black America 250 (TBA 250). An ongoing digital platform, TBA 250 is designed to show- case destinations as milestones that provide a deeper understanding of the American dream - a dream that is woven into the very soul of this nation, "a dream that belongs to all of us." This Collaboration ensures that the story of Semiquincentennial "250 YEARS OF BLACK AMERICA: A LEGACY OF RESILIENCE, RESISTANCE, AND RENEWAL" SET FOR JULY 4, 2026 O u r 12 B M & T ••• January/February 2026 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com