The Black Footwear Forum (BFF), which seeks to enhance access, education, and awareness to increase opportunities for Black professionals in the global footwear industry, is scheduled to take place at the Pensole Lewis College campus in Detroit from Sept. 15-17. A day earlier on Sept. 14, the inaugural DEI Summit focused on increasing diversity and equity within the footwear industry will take place. 

The BFF, which was founded by the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) and Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design, recently added two members to its advisory board—Darius Billings, VP of Marketing & Outreach for The Athlete’s Foot, and April Dinwoodie, DEIB Lead for Steve Madden. The Board’s mission is to direct the BFF in issues of community engagement, education, networking, in-person events, and efforts by regional BFF chapters in key cities nationwide.

Next month, on March 13, the organization will debut a podcast, “Blacklights” with hosts Dion Walcott, director of partnerships & engagement for Pensole, and LaShae Boone-McCray, director of strategic accounts for RG Barry.

More details are available at www.blackfootwearforum.com.