Juneteenth: AACCNJ Expo Highlights Networking, Black Economic Resilience
Sign seen at the AACCNJ Juneteenth Black Business Expo at The College of New Jersey on June 12, 2025.
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
EWING TOWNSHIP – Hundreds turned out to hear Gov. Phil Murphy and business expert Dr. Boyce Watkins engage in professional networking at the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey’s third Juneteenth Black Business Expo at The College of New Jersey near Trenton on Thursday, June 12.
The business expo featured more than 50 corporate and small business exhibitors from around the state. South Jersey Industries, the parent company of South Jersey Gas, sat alongside United Airlines, New Jersey Transit, Ocean First Bank, Kean University and other several more local organizations.
Under the theme “Resilience is Our Heritage,” the annual Black Business Expo was a collaborative community event celebrating entrepreneurship and the economic and cultural empowerment of local communities, according to John Harmon, president and CEO of the AACCNJ.
The expo attracted a wide range of attendees, from attorney Joel Clymer, the new president of the Garden State Bar Association, cybersecurity expert Tony Wittock, and Keith Moss, who started his own clothing line dedicated to educating consumers about African American history. Business coach Andrew Frazier of Small Business Pro U promoted his upcoming Power Conference in Newark that will be held on July 25.
READ: AACCNJ’s John Harmon Congratulates AC Business Academy Grads
There were images of “Black Wall Street,” a nickname given to the wealthy and economically successful Black conclave of Tulsa, Okla., before White instigators destroyed it during a race riot in 1921. Inspirational sayings were scattered around the The College of New Jersey’s Brower Student Center, where the expo was held.
Attendees heard an address given by Murphy, who is currently in his final year leading the state. As a former national board member of the NAACP, Murphy has been a longtime supporter of the AACCNJ. The crowd also heard from best-selling author Dr. Boyce Watkins, a finance PhD, public speaker and founder of The Black Business School.
Lunch and health screenings were provided at the event, along with business match-making sessions, financial advice meetings and breakout sessions.
The first breakout session, titled “Crossroads: Taking Your Business to the Next Level,” included AACCNJ Board Chair Gary Mann, attorney Veda Shamsid-Dean, Dale Favors, and Lisa Lovell.
The second breakout session, titled “DEI vs. Meritocracy: Unraveling Facts from Fiction,” included Harmon as moderator, along with education expert Dr. Pauline Harris-Lloyd, Dee Marshall, Robert Johnson and Dr. Diana Artis.
The expo’s “Elite Sponsors” included Capital Health, Electra Lines, Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Prudential. “Innovator Sponsors” included Citizens Bank, CURE Auto Insurance and PSE&G.
“Visionary Sponsors” included ABC New Jersey, Bank of America, Jersey Central Power & Light, Fisevr, HTNB, Meritain Health, OceanFirst Bank, Provident Bank, South Jersey Industries and United Airlines. Government Agency sponsors included NJ Clean Energy program, NJ Department of Labor, NJ Economic Development Authority, NJ Transit, NJ Department of Transportation, NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency.
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