LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – As a minority-owned coffee shop celebrates almost a year in business, they’re recognizing the additional obstacles they had to face, and so is Metro Government.
The Louisville Metro Office of Equity looks at core issues impacting historically marginalized communities and finds ways to improve their quality of life.
The owner of Blak Koffee saw her business as quenching a thirst west of 9th Street but felt like resources seemed dry.
“Lending is not equity for us and the requirements, and what is asked of us is almost insulting,” Ronyale Smith, the Blak Koffee Founder and Owner said.
The Blak Koffee shop started as a coffee cart in 2022. Nearly a year later, their location on West Jefferson Street is one of the few places for coffee, eating, and meeting. Smith remembers the struggle to secure funding.
“I was asked to put liens on my property, for others to personally guarantee the loan, and for my resume,” Smith explained. “I know of other people being able to walk in and sign for their business loans.”
Smith says certain programs were not accessible to her. This issue is one that Louisville Metro is working to fix. One task of the Office of Equity is making sure there is a fair distribution of funds from departments to minority businesses.
“Our job is to figure out how to remove those barriers, because there are funding opportunities from external agencies funding,” Joi McAtee, Executive Director Office of Equity said. “The Office of Equity provides sponsorships but it’s about how are we getting the word out.”
Through advocacy, resources, and policies, the Office of Equity works with Metro Council to help minority businesses. The racial equity ordinance is an example of this.
“By opening up that access, for an opportunity even incrementally gives businesses a chance to grow,” McAtee explained. “This isn’t about Black businesses taking something from white businesses it’s about making the playing field equal.”
The Office of Equity was created in 2016.
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