Black Chamber Launches in Ohio to Empower Black Businesses

In Summit County, Ohio, black business owners banded together and founded the Summit County Black Chamber of Commerce once they realized there was no Chamber of Commerce for black businesses in the county.

According to the Black Chamber of Commerce was created to help bridge the racial wealth gap and create more opportunities for Black entrepreneurs. Robert DeJournett, founder and CEO of the Black Chamber of Commerce, told the outlet that Black businesses in the business community think the chamber is a great idea.

According to directory run by US Black ChambersThe Summit County Black Chamber of Commerce will develop into one in every of 25 Black Chambers of Commerce in the Midwest and one in every of greater than 150 across the United States.

“Everybody thinks it’s a great idea and it’s very necessary, but some of our companies are not involved; they’ve fallen off the radar,” DeJournett said.

Black Chamber of Commerce Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Misty Beasley said, “Black business owners often work in their businesses, so it’s hard for them to work on them or they don’t have the information, knowledge or resources to work on them, so having an organization that can help them with that and help them be successful is really important.”

About one-third of Akron’s population is black, according to the U.S. Census. Akron is the seat of Summit County, and a 2017 study by the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce found that a big portion of the county’s black community is excluded from economic opportunities.

“If this problem is not addressed, it will severely hamper innovation and startup activity, and as a result, the workforce will be unable to participate in the knowledge economy,” the report said.

As Beasley said, “We want to be a voice for black-owned businesses.” Beasley was previously employed by the Akron Urban League. “We want to create something that we help ourselves with.”

According to a press release was issued by the Summit County Black Chamber of Commerce, “The mission of the Summit County Black Chamber of Commerce (BCCSC) is to develop, strengthen, promote and support Black-owned businesses and to be the collective voice and advocate for the interests of the Black business community and the community at large. The nonprofit organization aims to close the racial wealth gap by fueling entrepreneurship and creating opportunities for inclusive commerce. It will focus on key areas such as advocacy, education, collaboration and resource availability, enabling Black entrepreneurs to grow and contribute to the prosperity of the region.”

The Summit County Black Chamber of Commerce is looking for donations from founding donors of $1,000 or more to help speed up the organization’s growth. In return, the group guarantees exclusive recognition for its donors, which incorporates: placement on the Founding Donor list on the group’s website, recognition at Black Chamber of Commerce headquarters or offices, invitations to the Founding Donor Recognition event, a Founding Donor badge and certificate, access to exclusive events, advantages and discounts, and the chance to join the Founding Donor Advisory Board.