By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia Senior U.S. Judge Thomas Thrash has ruled that the Fearless Fund, a venture capital firm based in Atlanta, can continue its grant program exclusively tailored for Black women entrepreneurs. The judge said the lawsuit challenging the practice, which argued it unlawfully excluded individuals of other […]
The Fifteen Percent Pledge Empowers Black-owned Brands
By Karen Stokes The Fifteen Percent Pledge is a nonprofit organization established in 2020. Its aim is to encourage prominent retailers to allocate fifteen percent of their shelf space to Black-owned brands, reflecting the fact that fifteen percent of the U.S. population is Black. This initiative invites retailers to respond to their community’s desires for […]
Wisconsin’s Only Black-0wned Bank Celebrates Its 98th Annual Meeting, Largest in More Than 40 Years
(Milwaukee)—Columbia Savings & Loan Association held its Ninety-Eighth Annual Meeting with more than 60 members and guests attending, making it the savings and loan’s largest Annual Meeting in decades. Attendance was so great that Columbia had to rent space at a much larger facility to accommodate all the participants. Lafayette McKinney reflected on t he […]
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MADISON TIMES
Buying Black: Black Businesses Fuel the American Economy
By LaKeshia N. Myers August is Black Business Month, a time to celebrate and cherish the many African American owned businesses across the country. In 2019, there were 134,567 Black-owned employer businesses (businesses with more than one employee) in all sectors of the U.S. economy, an 8% hike from the 124,551 Black-owned employer businesses in […]
Alex Lasry Tours Black Owned Small Businesses
By Milwaukee Courier Staff This week, Democratic candidate for US Senate Alex Lasry spent an afternoon touring Black and Latino-owned small businesses in Kenosha, following up on recent tours of Black-owned businesses in Milwaukee and Racine. Lasry took the opportunity to talk to the small business owners about their successful businesses, the challenges they face […]
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MADISON TIMES
Rebuilding Black Business after COVID-19 Catastrophe
By Will Martin Candidate for Wisconsin Lt. Governor Federal statistics indicate over 40% of Black-owned businesses did not survive the COVID-19 shutdown. In fact, Black-owned businesses closed permanently at more than twice the rate of their White counterparts. On too many streets in our communities, storefronts remain empty where businesses once served and employed our […]
Ray Allen Named President & CEO of Milwaukee’s Oldest Black-Owned Bank
Ray Allen is supposed to be retired. He reminds himself of this every now and then. But the tireless community advocate is cut from a different kente cloth. Every career move is intentional, rooted in his enduring determination to build relationships that benefit the greater community. By Yvette L. Craig Allen’s career journey is on […]
Wisconsin Democrats Discuss the Struggles and Successes of Being a Black Business Owner
By Karen Stokes On Thursday, May 26, Wisconsin Democrats (Wisdems) hosted a Black -owned small business roundtable event at Sam’s Place, 3338 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Dr. Their goal, to connect with Black entrepreneurs, create networking opportunities and have conversations about the struggles and successes of being a Black business owner. According to […]
Black-owned family trucking business puts community first
Pastor W. Aaron Robbins Sr. and his wife, Laci, take great pride in offering family-supporting jobs to members of Milwaukee’s Black community and others. “We’re able to offer job sustainability for anyone,” Aaron Robbins said. His family business, A&A Services and Transportation, is always looking for folks who may have struggled in other career paths. […]
August is National Black Business Month
By Karen Stokes August is National Black Business Month, a time when individuals and businesses recognize Black-owned businesses across the country. Historian John William Templeton and engineer Frederick E. Jordan Sr founded National Black Business Month in August 2004 to “drive the policy agenda affecting African American businesses.” According to BlackEnterprise, Jordan felt compelled to […]