FOUR YEARS AGO BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES WERE AMONG THE HARDEST HIT BY THE DISRUPTION OF THE PANDEMIC.
MANY OF THEM HAVE REBOUNDED, AND IN ONE RETAIL SPACE IN WASHINGTON D.C., SUPPORTING LOCAL BLACK ENTREPRENEURS HAS BEEN A KEY MISSION.
FROM THE NEWSHOUR’S STUDENT REPORTING LABS JOURNALISM TRAINING PROGRAM, MORGAN HAWKINS HAS THE STORY.
>> WE ARE A TRIBE HERE, LIKE A BLACK WALL STREET TRIBE.
MORGAN: SYCAMORE AND OAK IN SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON, D.C. IS A RETAIL VILLAGE SHOWCASING 12 BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES, RANGING FROM A FOOD MARKET AND ART BOUTIQUE TO A GYM.
IT ALSO SERVES AS A COMMUNITY SPACE THAT SUPPORTS BLACK ENTREPRENEURS THROUGH TRAINING AND MENTORSHIP.
>> SYCAMORE AND OAK HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE RESOURCE FOR MYSELF AND FOR MY BUSINESS.
COMING IN HERE AS A SMALL BUSINESS, IT HAS BEEN AN INCUBATOR SPACE WHERE WE LEARN ALL THE PROFESSIONAL THINGS.
MORGAN: THIS RETAIL VILLAGE OPENED IN JUNE OF 2023, ONE OF MANY BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES TO OPEN IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.
ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS’ ANNUAL BUSINESS SURVEY, THE NUMBER OF MAJORITY BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES HAS GROWN BY NEARLY 30% SINCE 2017.
BUT BLACK ENTREPRENEURS STILL FACE STRUGGLES, ACCORDING TO BRIDGET WESTON, THE CEO OF SCORE, A NONPROFIT FREE MENTOR AND EDUCATOR FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
>> FROM WHAT I CAN SEE IN MY ROLE, TALKING WITH BLACK ENTREPRENEURS ACROSS THE COUNTRY , UNFORTUNATELY A LOT OF THE CHALLENGES THEY SEE AS ENTREPRENEURS THROUGHOUT THE NATION ARE THE SAME THAT THEY FACE THROUGHOUT THE NATION BECAUSE OF SYSTEMIC ISSUES THAT PERSIST.
MORGAN: ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH, DURING THE FIRST MONTHS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES CLOSED AT A HIGHER RATE THAN ANY OTHER RACE.
>> SPECIFICALLY, BLACK ENTREPRENEURS HAD BIGGER PROBLEMS WITH THE LACK OF CHILDCARE.
THEY HAD MORE CHALLENGES WITH PEOPLE, EITHER THEMSELVES, THEIR FAMILY, OR THEIR STAFF BEING AFFECTED BY COVID 19.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THEY ALSO HAD LESS ACCESS TO THE FUNDS THAT WERE AVAILABLE TO THEM TO HELP THEIR BUSINESSES SURVIVE DURING THE PANDEMIC.
MORGAN: HOWEVER, BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIP HAS COME BACK AT A HIGHER RATE THAN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, ACCORDING TO THE WASHINGTON POST.
BACK AT SYCAMORE AND OAK IN WASHINGTON, D.C., JOE HOUSTON HAS OPENED A GYM THAT PROMOTES HOLISTIC WELLNESS.
>> WE TALK ABOUT NUTRITION A LOT, AND NUTRITION IS HIGHLY IMPORTANT.
MORGAN: MOST PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE AREA AROUND SYCAMORE AND OAK ARE BLACK.
THESE NEIGHBORHOODS TEND TO BE FARTHER FROM A FULL SERVICE GROCERY STORE OR COMMERCIAL GYM THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. >> THIS FACILITY IS MY FIRST EVER BRICK AND MORTAR, AND SUPER BEING AROUND A LOT OF DIFFERENT BUSINESS OWNERS IS GREAT.
YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY BUSINESS OWNERS OF COLOR THAT COME FROM WHERE I COME FROM.
MORGAN: THOSE WHO WORK AT THIS RETAIL VILLAGE SAY THAT THIS BUSINESS COMMUNITY HELPS WITH THE WELLBEING OF CUSTOMERSAND – – CUSTOMERS AND THE WELL-BEING OF EACH OTHER.
>> I HOPE THAT BLACK ENTREPRENEURS KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A SPACE WITHIN EACH OTHER AND WITHIN THE TRIBE TO THRIVE.
THEY KEEP ME SHARP.
THEY’RE MAKING SURE THAT I’M WORKING AT MY HIGHEST POTENTIAL.
AND I’M GRATEFUL FOR THAT MORGAN: FOR THE PBS NEWSHOUR STUDENT REPORTING LABS, I’M MORGAN HAWKINS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.