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BUILDING OUR
OWN TABLE
Juneteenth Conference 2026
They crossed an ocean in darkness.
Stolen from their homes. Stripped of their names, their languages, their humanity. For 246 years, they were denied not just a seat at the table — but the right to be seen as human.
They built the table. They served the table. They were never invited to sit.
1787
Three-Fifths of a person. Counted for representation, excluded from it.
1857
“No rights which the white man was bound to respect.” — Dred Scott v. Sandford
1896
Separate but equal. Different tables entirely.
Centuries of being told:
“This table is not for you.”
June 19th, 1865.
Galveston, Texas. The last to hear the news.
Two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers arrived in Texas to announce that enslaved people were free. Freedom, delayed — but not denied.
The chains broke. The building began.
From freedom, they didn't just survive.
They built.
1881
Tuskegee Institute
Booker T. Washington builds an institution from nothing. HBCUs become launchpads for Black excellence.
1921
Black Wall Street
Greenwood, Tulsa. Black commerce thriving — until it was burned to the ground. They rebuilt.
1964
Civil Rights Act
After centuries of being denied, the law finally said: every table is your table.
March on Washington, August 28, 1963. Public domain.
Every generation built. Every generation was told it wasn't enough.
So we kept building.
Remember them.
Every name erased. Every invention stolen. Every life denied.
A pandemic. A reckoning.
A refusal to wait any longer.
The world watched. We proudly proclaimed that Black Lives Matter. The tech industry posted black squares and made promises.
They said “Black talent is hard to find.”
We filled a roster of world-class Black speakers in 16 days.
watched live
days to build it
permissions asked
This is not a comeback
This is an escalation.
June 19–20
Chicago, 2026
The table was built in 2020. In 2026, it becomes permanent. Institutional. A movement. No more asking. No more waiting. Building.
Keynote Speaker
Madison Butler
Unapologetic advocate for authenticity and psychological safety. Featured in The New York Times, WSJ, and Rolling Stone. LinkedIn Top Black Voice.
“Building Our Own Table”
We will no longer wait for acceptance or approval.
Voices who've graced our stage
Conference
Two days. 20 curated sessions across engineering, data, security, entrepreneurship, and tech leadership.
Learn more →Accelerator
Hands-on project experience, mentorship, and career pipeline support for Black professionals entering or advancing in tech.
Learn more →Mentorship
Pairing aspiring technologists with experienced professionals for upskilling, portfolio building, and career guidance.
Learn more →This table is for everyone
Add your name to the table.