When Black-Owned Businesses are in high demand, businesses become more profitable and create business opportunities. Supporting these companies contributes to economic prosperity and serves as a bridge for low-income families to achieve middle-class status. Not only does it help end racial injustice, but it also helps address environmental injustices that have a greater impact on low-income communities and communities of color. Most of us do not have the individual capacity to equalize the balance of bank lending or redistribute wealth.
But we can indirectly influence the likelihood that black-owned businesses will overcome these obstacles by supporting them with our consumer spending habits. This will help alleviate the need for additional loans or recourse to personal savings, and also help address some of the prejudices that prevent black entrepreneurs from gaining equal access to business loans. When you support black-owned businesses, you get products that are valuable because of the unique character they bring. Supporting these businesses can also help address environmental racism, which is when people of color are most likely to be exposed to environmental health problems.
The devaluation of housing in mostly black neighborhoods undermines the fundamental capital that entrepreneurs use to start their businesses. This lack of black businesses in the black community has a major impact on racial health disparities, which has become central to the broader debate due to the ongoing global pandemic. Increased opportunities for mentoring and sponsorship can further strengthen ties between black entrepreneurs and other stakeholders in business ecosystems. One of the main barriers to the growth and development of black businesses is that black households have been denied equal opportunities to accumulate wealth.
Banks, conventional and social impact investors, foundations and public programs could make more capital available to black-owned businesses. Combined with the lack of informal and geographical connections to such resources, including venture capital networks, this trend may isolate black entrepreneurs from potential sources of support. Even with strong personal credit, black business owners and other entrepreneurs from marginalized groups are about half as likely as their white counterparts to receive full funding. Supporting Black-Owned Businesses is not only a means to end racial injustice, but environmental injustices as well.
It helps create business opportunities, promote economic prosperity, and address environmental racism.
