Artist Shares Message of Economic Inclusion in Cleveland Fed Music Video

In a music video released today by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Cleveland artist Chris Webb shares the importance of economic inclusion through poetry. Filmed inside the Bank, the video ties spoken words with a commissioned art piece. The collaboration is part of the Bank’s Program on Economic Inclusion’s efforts to share the Cleveland Fed’s interest in economic inclusion and why it matters.

“Our economy’s like a canvas, one that isn’t fully clear, because we exclude vital pieces from its image every year,” Webb says in the video. “The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland studies our economy, they’ve found it can’t reach full potential without racial equity, they’ve tracked systemic proof that these disparities affect us all, and their Program on Economic Inclusion show’s where it’s gone.”

The Bank launched the Program on Economic Inclusion in November 2020 to advance its ongoing work on topics such as the racial wealth gap, jobs and workforce, housing and redlining, small businesses owned by people of color, and access to credit. Under the leadership of Dionissi Aliprantis, the program has recently introduced a series of video discussions with national researchers, practitioners, and policy makers on economic inclusion topics.

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks that along with the Board of Governors in Washington DC comprise the Federal Reserve System. Part of the US central bank, the Cleveland Fed participates in the formulation of our nation’s monetary policy, supervises banking organizations, provides payment and other services to financial institutions and to the US Treasury, and performs many activities that support Federal Reserve operations System-wide. In addition, the Bank supports the well-being of communities across the Fourth Federal Reserve District through a wide array of research, outreach, and educational activities.

The Cleveland Fed, with branches in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, serves an area that comprises Ohio, western Pennsylvania, eastern Kentucky, and the northern panhandle of West Virginia.

Media contact

Doug Campbell, doug.campbell@clev.frb.org, 513.218.1892