Detroit Regional Chamber > National Business League Inc. on Ensuring Racial Justice and Equity in the COVID-19 Economic Recovery
National Business League Inc. on Ensuring Racial Justice and Equity in the COVID-19 Economic Recovery
July 28, 2020The COVID-19 crisis and the rise in awareness of racial justice are reshaping our communities. Dr. Ken L. Harris, national president and CEO of the National Business League Inc., joined the Chamber to discuss efforts to address racial injustice and achieve economic equity.
The Black business community has been devastated by the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 virus, which created not only a health crisis, but an economic crisis. “The virus has decimated Black businesses in the city,” said Harris. “More than 40% of Black businesses have closed their doors permanently or are on their way to closure.” Black businesses make up 80% of Detroit’s 62,000 businesses, according to 2012 census-tracked statistics. Despite keeping the city’s economy afloat during recent recessions and economic hardships, said Harris, Black residents and Black businesses are now being left behind amid the COVID-19 crisis. Recent racial unrest is the culmination of many forms of systemic oppression the Black community faces, and according to Harris, society cannot erase racism’s “constructed grip on humanity” until:- The Black problem has been acknowledged to exist.
- The problem of the Black race has been repaired.
- Equitable solutions toward the Black problem have been implemented.
Temporary and charitable approaches to funding Black businesses are harmful to their long-term success. Improvements in education and employment training as well as investment and policy support for Black entrepreneurs will be essential to this effort. By acknowledging and dismantling racism from these societal and economic systems, equitable solutions with longevity will be able to take hold.