The Black Economic Union
*The Black Economic Union (BEU) was formed on this date in 1965. Formerly known as the Negro Industrial and Economic Union (NIEU), it is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting self-reliance, supporting businesses, and fostering economic growth within the Black community.
It was established by actor and social activist Jim Brown. Formed in Cleveland, Ohio, the organization had its main offices at 10501 Euclid Avenue in University Circle. Teammates Walter Beach, Sid Williams, and John Wooten joined Brown, with Wooten as executive director, Carl B. Stokes as legal advisor, and Arnold R. Pinkney as secretary and Treasurer. The NIEU soon established branches in other major U.S. cities, such as Los Angeles and New York City. By 1967, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was volunteering at the NIEU's Los Angeles chapter.
Booker Griffin, known for his activism and work in radio, held the position of Los Angeles director for the Negro Industrial and Economic Union. The NIEU expanded in the summer of 1968 after receiving $520,000 from the Ford Foundation in April and $251,400 from the Economic Development Administration. The grants supported the establishment of new offices in Kansas City, San Francisco, and Washington and increased staffing in Cleveland, Los Angeles, and New York.
Brown organized the Annual Jim Brown Golf Classic in 1970 to bring awareness to the initiative. The national economic union was established in Missouri with the help of members of the Kansas City Chiefs. Union members launched training programs, issued loans, and created jobs. Brown revealed the group supported 400 Black-owned businesses during its peak from 1967 to 1974. Rebranded the Black Economic Union (BEU), the group dropped "Negro" from its title in 1970 when the regional offices began to disband.
By 1979, the BEU had established five neighborhood offices in Kansas City and grown into a citywide organization focused on both business and economic development. Managing a budget of more than $500,000, it provided loan packaging, job training, technical support, and other services to support minority and low-income businesses.
