Did you know August is National Black Business Month? Black Business Month was founded by John William Templeton, a historian, and Frederick E. Jordan Sr., a civil engineer, in 2004 “to drive the policy agenda affecting the 2.6 million African American businesses.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2019 Census Survey, 18.3% (1.0 million) of all U.S. businesses were minority-owned. Black business owners account for about 10 percent of U.S. businesses and about 30 percent of all minority-owned businesses, totaling approximately two million companies owned by African Americans, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (click HERE to view the data).
A recent report from the National Bureau of Economic Research showed that the number has fallen dramatically since COVID-19, with 41 percent of Black-owned businesses shuttering their businesses because of the pandemic and its fallout, as compared to 22 percent of businesses overall.
Supporting local Black-Owned businesses is easy – visit their shop, buy from them and/or use their services. Let others know about these businesses by posting on social media and tagging the businesses. It’s also important to show support for these businesses year-round – not just in August.
Check out our Resource page for Black-Owned Businesses in Polk County. We are working hard on expanding the list to include businesses in every city in the county.
