Media mogul Byron Allen spoke out about civil rights and antisemitism while accepting an award Saturday at the Harvard Business School.
“The African-American community owes the Jewish community a huge debt of gratitude for supporting them throughout the years, including during the Civil Rights Movement, and both groups must stay united to fight racism, antisemitism, and sexism because it's the right thing to do. Martin Luther King Jr. has taught us that injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere,” said Allen, founder, chairman and CEO of Allen Media Group.
“As a country we cannot continue to ignore the mentally ill, the food insecure, and the homeless,” he said. “America needs to stop talking about crime, and lean it to fix education and the lack of economic inclusion — and then crime in this country will be reduced significantly.”
Allen, an advocate for African-Americans to seize economic power, added that “the greatest trade deficit in America is the trade deficit between White corporate America and Black America, and that trade deficit needs to be closed immediately. And once that is accomplished, we can achieve one America.”
Allen was at Harvard Business School to deliver the opening keynote speech at the H Naylor Fitzhugh Conference, hosted by the African-American Student Union, which recognizes African-American leaders and addresses issues such as Black wealth creation, business ownership and societal equality.
He also accepted the inaugural Legendary Honor, presented by Gravy, a community-driven education and investment platform for underrepresented professionals.
“Mr. Allen delivered a clear path forward and a rousing call to action for America. His words will serve as a blueprint and resonate for years to come,” said Brandon William Jones, the founder of Gravy. ■
