Detroit is in the midst of an economic resurgence, yet many of the city’s Black business leaders say they feel stuck on the outside looking in.
A recent survey by the National Business League shows that while the Motor City is experiencing a much-needed comeback, 80 percent of its most prominent Black entrepreneurs feel they’re being left out and overlooked in the city’s revitalization.
Per the report, several of the city’s Black-owned businesses “felt left out of the current economic boom and opportunities for inclusion in the private sector development opportunities, particularly for major projects like the new hockey arena and old Hudson’s site.”
Another 62 percent of Detroit’s Black entrepreneurs are frustrated with the city and state’s leadership, particularly Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who they said has done a shoddy job of ensuring they “get a fair shot” at snagging state government contracts and other development opportunities.
Similar frustrations arose in 2014 after The New York Times published an articlehighlighting small business success in the Corktown neighborhood one year after Detroit filed for the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. Missing from those success stories, however, was the role of Black businesses in helping the city get back on its feet.
U.S. Census Bureau figures from 2007 showed the city was teeming with Black entrepreneurs — over 32,000 to be exact. Much like today, however, Black business owners said they felt largely excluded from conversations around Detroit’s revitalization and struggled for access to funds and other resources.
“I think, for the most part, Black-owned businesses aren’t getting a piece of the pie,” local bookstore owner Janet Jones told HuffPost at the time. “What about the people who have been doing the hard work of living and working and having business in Detroit for the last 20 years?”
Source: 80 Percent of Detroit’s Black Entrepreneurs Are Feeling Left Out of City’s Resurgence, Survey Shows
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