Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1544721
B M & T ••• May/June 2026 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 4 which commemorates the USA's Semiquincentennial, the 250th anniver- sary of the signing of the declaration of Independence. This initiative shifts the pervasive paradigm of Black America's non existent contribution to this nation — reclaiming our place central to the narrative. It highlights the journey of African-Americans in this country, weaving together stories of struggle and perseverance, achievement and triumphs. Black America 250 ™ invites all Americans to explore and embrace the diverse tapestry of our nation's true history. The voting public appears to be much more willing to give African- Americans the opportunity to hold senior leadership positions than the movers and shakers in the hospitality industry. For example, only about a dozen or so Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) out of over 700 are headed by Black CEOs. And only one of the 50 state departments of tourism is run by an African-American – Rita McClenny – who is featured on this May/June cover. We can, and must do better! This is unacceptable, and in my opinion, those of us in this industry who are concerned must take action to correct this imbalance. If you want physical evidence of this, go to the website of any DMO and see what their staff looks like. If you visit Destination DC's website or Visits Jackson's website, you see a rainbow of skin colors that look like America. But if you visit the website of most other DMOs, you will see no or very few people of color. This problem is fixable, and only you meeting and event planners can correct this by the choices you make going forward. Stop supporting destinations that don't support our market segment, and take your meetings to those that do. We sincerely hope that the Mayor's Platform will help in this process. Black Meetings & Tourism is published bi-monthly by Black Meetings & Tourism LCC, 20840 Chase St., Winnetka, CA 91306-1207 • Telephone: (818) 694-7830 • Copyright 2026 by Black Meetings & Tourism LCC. All rights reserved. Single Copies, $6.00 Subscriptions $45.00. Postage Paid at Pasadena, CA. •Postmaster send address changes to Black Meetings & Tourism, 20840 Chase St., Winnetka, CA 91306-1207. B lack Meetings & Tourism is launching a new reoccurring col- umn entitled "Mayor's Platform," that will profile one of the 641 Black Mayors across the country in each issue. Many of these mayors will be mem- bers on the World Conference of Mayors, which itself is a part of the National Policy Alliance, both organizations with which we are closely aligned. One of the missions of this new column is to emphasize the impor- tance of travel, tourism and meetings to any particular destination and the signifi- cant role the mayors play in generating tourism dollars to their local economy. Since African-Americans spend over $145 billion annually on travel, this is no small market segment to be ignored. Despite this, our research has shown that less than 4% of destinations advertise in Black-owned publications to reach this siz- able audience. Most destinations want our business but are unwilling to invest in this niche market segment the way they do in the general market segment. The July/August 2026 issue of Black Meetings & Tourism will be a special maga- zine edition showcasing the Black Ame- rica 250 ™ www.theblackamerica250- .org national media/marketing initiative PUBLISHER'S M E S S A G E Solomon J. Herbert Publisher/Editor-in-Chief E-Mail: BMandTMag@aol.com