The movement without storytelling, is like birds without wings - John Lewis
The movement without storytelling, is like birds without wings - John Lewis
PRESS RELEASE : No More Excuses - A Black Business Empowerment Forum
Friday, December 13, 2019, Harlem Commonwealth Council, Harlem, New York.
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A group of prominent Black entrepreneurs, community leaders and advocacy organizations aim to find solutions to this huge economic and opportunity disparity at the Black Business Empowerment Forum on Dec. 13 in Harlem. The event will see Black business owners and their supporters convene with elected officials with the aim of growing the number of African-American led businesses in New York City from two percent to 22 percent by 2022. #2to22by2022.
PRESS RELEASE: Emergency COVID-19 Press Conference
HARLEM, New York – March 21, 2020
White-owned Firms are poised to receive over 90% of COVID-19 Contract Work. NYC Black Business Owners Demand Their Fair Share of COVID-19 Dollars! The Black Business Empowerment Committee (BBE) will convene an emergency press conference to address the government’s allocation of emergency and recovery spending for COVID-19 relief, specifically as it pertains to the Black Business Community. COVID-19 emergency and recovery spending will be the Black Business Community’s litmus test for NYC, NYS and Federal candidates seeking political office during the 2020 and 2021 election seasons.
NEWS BRIEF: NYC Black businesses demand a fair share of COVID-19 Relief Funding
HARLEM, New York – March 21, 2020
The Black business community wants to ensure that COVID-19 emergency and recovery dollars meant to sustain and preserve existing businesses reaches Black business owners and our community. We want elected officials to know that we are watching their actions carefully and we will no longer accept rhetoric in place of economic parity. The Black Community will not be left in the COVID-19 boat of despair while white business owners receive the lion’s share of no-bid contracts, and financial relief is doled out to other communities.
HARLEMWORLD MAGAZINE.COM: White-Owned Firms To Receive Over 90% Of COVID-19 Contracts As Black-Owned Firms Receive Left Overs
March 26, 2020
Sunday, March 22, 2020, the Black Business Empowerment Committee (BBE) convened an emergency press conference to address the government’s allocation of emergency and recovery spending for COVID-19 relief, specifically as it pertains to the Black Business Community. COVID-19 emergency and recovery spending will be the Black Business Community’s litmus test for NYC, NYS and Federal candidates seeking political office during the 2020 and 2021 election seasons.
NEWSONE.COM: Will COVID-19 Be The Death Knell To Black Businesses?
April 13, 2020
Even before COVID-19 ravaged the U.S. economy, Dr. Selma Bartholomew said she often felt invisible. The Bronx-based entrepreneur owns Legacy Pathways LLC, an education consultancy that works in schools to support at-risk students through STEM learning and designs curriculums around gang violence prevention and life skills. But during her 12 years in business, Bartholemew struggled to secure contracts in new districts and adequately expand to meet what she sees as a growing demand to help close the achievement gap between Black and white students. And then the coronavirus hit...
NEWSWEEK.COM: For Black and Brown Businesses, The Next Relief Bill Could Be A Lifeline—or An Assault | Opinion
April 14, 2020
Yet we and our businesses are under attack—and many are dying. Whether we're wearing surgical scrubs, a prison jumpsuit or a bus driver uniform, the data is screaming one thing: If you're black or brown, you're being left to die. City after city is reporting black and Latino people are consistently overrepresented among the dead... The failure to provide emergency relief to entrepreneurs in our communities will lead to economic insecurity at a scale that could trigger the extinction of black and brown businesses for generations. This next tranche of federal relief is more than an opportunity to get it right. For communities of color, it could very well be life-saving. Here are a few of the federal stimulus errors that must be fixed in order to stop hurting black and brown communities:
TELEGRAM NEWS.NET: Black-Owned Newspapers and Media Companies Are Small Businesses Too!
April 30, 2020
Publishers of Black-owned community newspapers, including Janis Ware of the Atlanta Voice, Cheryl Smith of Texas Metro News, Chris Bennett of the Seattle Medium, Denise Rolark Barnes of the Washington Informer, and Brenda Andrews of the New Journal & Guide in Virginia, are desperately trying to avoid shuttering operations.
AFRO.COM: Black-Owned Businesses Demand Share of Fed Dollars as COVID-19 Rages On
May 03, 2020
he coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the U.S. economy, leaving scores of businesses in limbo and livelihoods in jeopardy. And Black businesses — many of which were already fighting to access capital — are struggling to weather this economic disaster COVID-19 has wrought. They are calling on the federal government to ensure that their companies aren’t wiped out by the pandemic’s onslaught.
NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS.COM: Congressional Black Caucus: Prioritize Black people first! Word!
Commentary - May 03, 2020
As a person who’s been on the front lines of protests advocating for Black folks for media job hiring, slavery reparations and more Black history teaching in public schools, just to name a few. I’ve witnessed for decades how my work was being translated by news reports as “working on behalf of minorities!” Nothing could have been further from the truth.
MILWAUKEE COMMUNITY JOURNAL.NET: Congressional Black Caucus: Prioritize Black people first! Word!
Commentary - May 03, 2020
As a person who’s been on the front lines of protests advocating for Black folks for media job hiring, slavery reparations and more Black history teaching in public schools, just to name a few. I’ve witnessed for decades how my work was being translated by news reports as “working on behalf of minorities!” Nothing could have been further from the truth.
THE ATLANTA VOICE.COM: Black-owned businesses demand share of federal dollars as COVID-19 rages on
May 04, 2020
Black business owners said the COVID-19 pandemic will decimate their ranks if the government doesn’t step in to help keep them from shutting down. The coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the U.S. economy, leaving scores of businesses in limbo and livelihoods in jeopardy. And Black businesses – many of which were already fighting to access capital – are struggling to weather this economic disaster COVID-19 has wrought. They are calling on the federal government to ensure that their companies aren’t wiped out by the pandemic’s onslaught.
NORTH DALLAS GAZETTE.COM: Black Businesses Matter, But Will They Get Fair Share Of COVID-19 Aid Money?
May 07, 2020
Compared to other small business owners, African Americans have generally had to face more daunting challenges such as smaller cash reserves to draw from, difficulty in securing bank loans and other financing and being sole proprietors or “mom and pop” establishments that are ineligible for most small business loans...“People didn’t have time to pivot. For Black business, access to capital may not be there and Black customers are going to be hit very hard. It’s going to be a challenge for all businesses. You have to figure what you need to do now.”
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