Missouri Chamber of Commerce Speaks Up
When the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce (JACC) and its leader, Tobias Teeter, made a public commitment to addressing racial inequities within the Chamber and its member businesses, they faced immediate backlash. Dozens of white-owned businesses withdrew their membership, and threats were issued against Chamber leadership in an attempt to intimidate them into silence. The perpetrators seemed confident that this pressure would force the Chamber to retreat from its stance on racial justice.
However, rather than backing down, Joplin activists and organizations, led by Nanda Nunnelly-Sparks and the Langston Hughes Society, mobilized the community to counteract the threats. They organized a Unity Walk to publicly reaffirm support for racial equality and the Chamber’s stance. Beyond symbolic action, they worked strategically to fill the membership gap left by departing businesses by recruiting minority-owned businesses to join the JACC. This effort not only replaced lost members but also strengthened the Chamber’s diversity and commitment to inclusion.
What began as an effort to silence the Chamber’s support for systemic change ultimately backfired, resulting in stronger community engagement, broader business representation, and an example for other cities on how organizations can uphold racial justice in the face of opposition. Joplin’s response demonstrated that when a community stands together, intimidation tactics fail, and meaningful change becomes possible.