Reclaim Fathers Day Weekend returns to Chicago this Juneteenth weekend with a message that reaches beyond celebration. Sponsored by The Solomon Group LLC, the three-day gathering is built around Black fatherhood, wealth, wellness, family presence and the kind of planning that helps families keep what they build.
The weekend opens Friday, June 19, with the Reclaim Black Wealth Conference at the Northwestern Mutual Hyde Park Office, 5307 S. Hyde Park Blvd., Suite 201. The free conference runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and brings together fathers, families, business owners, professionals, mentors and community leaders for a full day of panels, keynotes, masterclasses and brotherhood circles.
The first 100 attendees will receive a free wealth plan with Northwestern Mutual.
That offer sits at the center of the days purpose. Black wealth in America has been hard fought, but too many families are still working without the structure, access and protection needed to hold on to what they earn and pass it forward. In Chicago, recent reporting around the State of Black Chicago report put the median net worth for Black Chicago-area households at zero, compared with $210,000 for white households. Numbers like that can sound heavy, but they do not tell the whole story. They do make one thing clear: All is not lost, but the time to reclaim Black wealth is now.
Fridays conference is designed to move that conversation from concern to action. The day will include discussions on wealth and ownership, health and longevity, legal planning, the provider mindset and building Black family wealth. The event creates space for fathers thinking about what comes next, families ready to move from survival to strategy and professionals who know income alone is not enough without ownership, protection and a plan.
The speaker lineup reflects that range. Robert Johnson, managing partner of The Solomon Group LLC and a social impact leader, will serve as keynote speaker. Johnsons work through The Solomon Group centers business management, consulting, coaching, strategy development and leadership solutions rooted in practical answers to complex problems.
State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford will also speak Friday, bringing his background as a public servant, former Chicago Public Schools teacher, licensed real estate broker and longtime advocate for community investment, education and opportunity. Rendel Solomon, co-founder of InHeirit, will bring a direct lens on estate preparedness and generational planning. InHeirit was created to help families address planning conversations that are often delayed until crisis, making his presence especially relevant to a conference focused on what families build and what they must protect.
Other Friday speakers include Sequane Lawrence, president and CEO of Revolution Institute, whose work expands opportunities in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, cooperative business development and the digital economy for under-resourced communities. Justin Harris, director of real estate development at The Solomon Group LLC, brings experience in finance, law and real estate development. Dominique Wilson, vice president of business development at The Solomon Group LLC, adds more than 15 years of work across workforce development, technology, education and entrepreneurship. Eric Z. Williams, consultant, educator, author and partner at Kuumba Enterprises LLC, brings a long record of mentorship, college access and mens development. Tewodros TJ Josef Crawford, a clinical social worker, culture-based community developer and lead steward at the Institute of Culture Wellness, will help ground the weekend in wellness, identity and community care. Jeffrey Osuji, co-founder of EventNoire, is also featured in Friday programming through The Provider Mindset panel.
The weekend continues Saturday, June 20, with the Reclaim Fatherhood 5K at Jackson Park from 7 a.m. to noon. The free community run and walk is open to the whole family, creating space for fathers, children, mothers, grandparents, friends and neighbors to move together in celebration of health, presence and community.
On Sunday, June 21, Reclaim Fathers Day Weekend closes with the Father's Day Reception and Ceremony at Machine Cocktail Bar, 213 W. Institute Place, from 5 to 7 p.m. Harry Lennix, the Chicago-born actor, producer and longtime stage and screen presence, will serve as the Sunday ceremony keynote. Lennix's participation adds cultural and hometown weight to the close of a weekend focused on honoring Black fathers and the men who continue to lead, mentor, protect and pour into their families and communities.
Founded in 2008, The Solomon Group describes its work as helping individuals and organizations create practical solutions to complex problems through consulting, coaching, strategy development and authentic leadership. For Reclaim Fathers Day Weekend, that mission shows up through a clear call to action: honor Black fathers, gather families and give people tools they can use.
Admission to Fridays Reclaim Black Wealth Conference is free, but registration is required. Sundays Fathers Day Reception is ticketed. Attendees are encouraged to register now and arrive early Friday to be among the first 100 people to receive a free wealth plan with Northwestern Mutual.
Reclaim Fathers Day Weekend is not simply asking people to show up for an event. It is asking them to show up for their future.