BET Founder Robert Johnson to discuss minority unemployment, wealth gap, 10 am Feb. 1

Business leader Robert L. Johnson will discuss the wealth gap between white and black Americans during a Newsmaker press conference at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1.

The founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) will urge CEOs to take a page from the NFL owners’ playbook and adopt a voluntary version of the Rooney Rule to level the playing field for minorities in corporate America.

The NFL’s Rooney Rule gives fair interviews to minority candidates whenever a head-coaching or general manager position becomes available prior to making a hiring decision. Johnson will also announce the launch of a new online business to aggregate minority job seekers and businesses.