2024 Blacks In Government National Training Institute

BIG is a national response to the needs of Black government employees. Established in 1975, BIG has been addressing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility issues long before those terms were in vogue. And our advocacy and career development efforts address longstanding inequities in public service which in turn lead to inequalities in the delivery and receipt of government services. Public servants across all of government look to BIG for leadership development and training opportunities they may not otherwise have access to.

BIG Purpose: An advocate of equal opportunity and professional development for Black government/military employees/officers at the Local, State and Federal government levels and others dedicated to justice for all.

BIG Vision: member focused, world class enterprise, recognized for excellence.

BIG Mission: Enable all present and future Black employees in Local, State, and Federal governments to have the ability to maximize their career opportunities and provide a mechanism for inclusion, growth, and advocacy.
While our membership is open to all regardless of race, our community of members are primarily Black government employees seeking an equal opportunity for full and complete access to government jobs, training, advancement, and retention without discrimination because of race. The founders of our organization developed BIG as a mechanism for greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and indeed power. As a member-based volunteer organization, we work in community together as an advocate for equal employment opportunity and as a national forum for mentoring and networking.
The primary issues we are addressing are the inequities in public service which lead to inequalities in the delivery and receipt of government programs and services. And active-duty Black military members look to our organization for guidance with transitioning from active duty to a civilian position where they will receive all that their hard work and experience deserves. Through our Military Veterans Emphasis Program (MVEP), we provide training on benefits and provide mentoring, networking, and career assistance. Through MVEP we also make donations to local veterans' organizations who further address issues related to veterans from health care to homelessness. As the centerpiece of our efforts, BIG hosts its annual National Training Institutes (NTI) each year.
We have been very successful in increasing BIG’s positive visibility as an organization during the pandemic by embracing technology. Now more than ever the word is getting out about our positive efforts to make government a model employer that values diversity and recognizes that inclusivity makes our government better. We need help to do more.
Over the next 3 years, we hope to double our membership from over 8,000 members to over 16,000. To do that we need to greatly expand what we offer our members. But, it is difficult to expand and keep our membership fee at just $35 per year which we have not increased in almost 15 years because we want to keep it at a very manageable rate. With a donations from People’s Bank we could increase our efforts to advise military members on their benefits and assist them in transitioning to civilian life. We could have a military veterans clinic and we could give back more in donations to veterans. We can increase the number of students that we impact through our Future Leaders In America’s Government program as well as our annual Oratorical and STEM competitions through which we award monetary scholarships. We would be able to expand our Leadership Academy and our NOW Generation efforts for our members. We would be able to expand our Career Fair, our EEO Institute, and other special programs held in conjunction with our National Training Institute.

We measure our success by the numbers. Averaging 3,000 - 4,000 attendees per year prior to the pandemic, BIG’s National Training Institute has proudly trained more than 100,000 government employees. We also continue to increase the number of students that we impact through our FLAG chapters which have more than doubled since the pandemic. In 2021 alone, our FLAG Leadership Summit hosted over 100 students. And, through our Career Fair each year, students have received jobs through on the spot recruitment. We also continue to graduate students year after year through our Leadership Academy in conjunction with Morgan State. Lastly, we measure the success of our programs through the success of our members. Many of our members start at lower grades and through leadership opportunities, mentoring, and networking provided by BIG, their governments careers continue to elevate to higher levels. Three of our National Presidents started as members at the beginning of their careers and when on to become Senior Executive Service Members. Our current National President is the first African American female in her agencies 100+ year here to hod a Senior Executive Service position in her agency’s Office of General Counsel. She attributes much of her leadership development to opportunities provided to her by BIG.
During our 2022 National Training Institute, we had over 1200 registrants who were public servants taking advantage of our quality training. Approximately 200 of those attendees participated in our MVEP where they received information regarding veterans' benefits. Over 50 attendees received one-on-one guidance. As people become more comfortable with in person learning and with a location in the seat of government for the 2023 NTI, we estimate that we will double the attendance from last year or come close thereto. We further estimate that 20% of those attendees will benefit from our MVEP program. Importantly, through MVEP we also leave a BIG footprint in each city that hosts our NTI by donating to the local veterans’ organization.
Each year Blacks In Government (BIG) proudly honor each branch of the military during our National Training Institute (NTI) during the National President's Reception. Our annual Military Meritorious Service Awards (MMSA) honors an active service member or a supporting civilian of each branch with a plaque during a special recognition ceremony. The awards are based on formal nominations submitted from POCs at each branch. The individuals need not be a member of BIG to be selected. Honorees are also welcome to attend training sessions while on site as well. It is important to note that these awards were first established in conjunction with support from the Department of Defense (DOD). However, long after DOD discontinued their financial support based on changes in their regulations that no longer allowed them to financially do so, BIG continued the awards in recognition of our strong belief in and support for the military.

Last year, we conducted a clothing drive through which we were able to donate bags and bags of clothing and toiletry items along with a monetary donation from BIG to the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center in Cleveland, OH, the site of the 2022 NTI. All these programs are currently funded by BIG's budget, not corporate sponsors.

Lastly, our National President Shirley A. Jones, Esq. has repeatedly said that her favorite photo from the 2022 NTI was the one where she was flanked by some of the Marines who were in attendance last year. Please see the picture below Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you.