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This article was written by WTOP’s news partner, InsideNoVa.com, and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
Black business owners who met with Democratic U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Prince William County officials on Friday made clear they want a more prominent seat at the table to address the unique challenges they face.
“We need invites,” Jinnae Monroe, a veteran and founder of the nonprofit HireGround, which provides students with workforce development opportunities, said of the need to place more Black people in positions of power to advocate for their community. She received an ovation from the other business leaders in attendance.
Monroe said she’s served on local, state and federal-level organizations, but indicated she often felt singled out because of her skin color. “It would be nice to not be the one,” she said.
Many expressed concerns about affordable housing that make it difficult for both Black entrepreneurs and other people of color to live and work in Prince William County.
Business leaders were also alarmed by attacks on affirmative action at the federal level in light of the Supreme Court ruling it illegal in a recent landmark decision.
This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.