Black Equity Coalition wins the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership’s (NNIP) G. Thomas King

CONTACT: Ayanna A. King ayanna@blackequitypgh.org (412) 609-4481 Black Equity Coalition wins the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership’s (NNIP) G. Thomas Kingsley Impact Award Pittsburgh, PA, June 7, 2021 – Black Equity Coalition has received the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership’s G. Thomas Kingsley Impact Award for their partnership with the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center (WPRDC), which is the Pittsburgh-based NNIP Partner and a member of the BEC Data Group.

The Black Equity Coalition (BEC) in Pittsburgh successfully worked with WPRDC and other data and tech professionals to form the BEC Data Group. This group meets twice a week using data to advocate for programs and policies to decrease racial disparities in COVID-19 response and to tackle other health inequities. The group of predominantly Black leaders formed the BEC in spring 2020 to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic's disparate impact on Allegheny County's Black community. It includes: funders; epidemiologists; social scientists; government officials, public health professionals and practitioners.

“Dr. Gary-Webb says she is honored that NNIP has acknowledged the work of the BEC and believes the BEC data efforts are changing the culture around equity and social change in the Pittsburgh area, shifting power to Black leaders with the support of white allies.”

The G. Thomas Kingsley Impact Award recognizes an NNIP Partner organization who has demonstrated impact using neighborhood data to improve local policy and practice to benefit people with low incomes and communities of color. The award honors the legacy of Tom Kingsley, the founding director of NNIP, G. Thomas Kingsley was a champion for the importance of neighborhoods and of the power of local data in community-building and policymaking. Please read the full announcement. https://www.neighborhoodindicators.org/library/stories/black-equity-coalition-deploysdata-reduce-covid-19’s-impact-black The POISE Foundation serves as the Fiscal Sponsor for the Black Equity Coalition. ###