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THE BBE COMMISSION IS A NATIONAL ORGANIZING ENTITY FOCUSED ON
THE ECONOMIC HEALTH OF
THE BLACK COMMUNITY
The Village of Harlem, New York, has been the cultural epicenter of Black America for the last 100+ years. More recently, Black Harlem has been confronting the adverse effects of gentrification and economic stagnation of the majority of its Black-owned businesses. This harsh economic reality led to the formation of WEG, a collective of Harlem based entrepreneurs in 2018. WEG gave birth to the Black Business Empowerment Committee (BBE), a collective of Black community organizations, churches and business owners that have come together to put forth a plan for Black Business Empowerment in NYS and NYC. Reaching out to Black communities across the nation gave birth to the 'BBE Commission' (BBEC).
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BBEC recognizes the devastating financial impact of systemic and institutionalized racism on the Black community. How is it that after 400 years, and ‘so-called’ progress, 40 million Black people hold less than 2% of American wealth? The ‘why’ and ‘how’ is well documented. As we look forward into this century, BBEC envisions a national movement focused on the economic health of the Black community where in the words of Maulana Karenga — Black people across America:
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Strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.
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Define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.
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Build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together.
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Build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.
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Make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
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Do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
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To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
VISION
REVERSE ECONOMIC TRAJECTORY
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The financial state of Black-owned businesses directly correlates to the quality of life for our children, families, and community. The growth of Black-owned businesses has a direct impact on reducing unemployment, homelessness, crime in the Black community. Hence, BBEC’s goal is two-fold: 1) Create a climate and new paradigm that fosters Black business creation and growth along with workforce development and 2) Create a national Purchase Black, Hire Black, Deposit Black (PHD) eco-system.
GOALS
BUILD GENERATIONAL WEALTH
In order to achieve our goals, BBEC seeks to: organize BBEC committees across America; organize Black people nationally to become informed voters; hold all elected officials accountable for their actions and/or inaction; develop a strategic plan for Black Business Empowerment at the local, state and federal levels for adoption by those who seek the Black vote in the 2020 election season; develop criteria for BBE Certification; establish a BBE Directory; promote and advocate for Black business enterprises whenever possible; and aggressively encourage Black people to adopt the PHD strategy of Purchasing Black, Hiring Black and Depositing Black.
METHODOLOGY
PURCHASE BLACK, HIRE BLACK, DEPOSIT BLACK
FACT: THE PROBABALITY OF A LOAN DENIAL IS 36.9% HIGHER FOR A BLACK BUSINESS OWNER IN COMPARISON
TO WHITE, MALE OWNED CPMPANIES. SOURCE - AMERICAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION.
FACT: IN 2013, THE MEDIAN NET WORTH OF BLACK HOUSEHOLDS WAS $11,000 WHILE THE MEDIAN NET WORTH OF WHITE HOUSEHOLDS WAS $141,900. SOURCE - CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS, OCTOBER 2016.
FACT: 20 PERCENT OF BLACK HOUSEHOLDS HAVE ZERO OR NEGATIVE NET WORTH WHILE ONLY 9 PERCENT OF WHITE HOUSEHOLDS HAVE ZERO OR NEGATIVE NET WORTH - FEDERAL RESERVE, RECENT TRENDS, SEPTEMBER 2017.
ACCORDING TO SHAWN ROCHESTER, THE AUTHOR OF THE BLACK TAX—NATIONWIDE,
1.4 MILLION BLACK BUSINESSES
ARE MISSING FROM THE BLACK COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF THE BLACK TAX
Given the dire economic condition of the Black community, Black people need to come together and rally around our core value of community, and direct policy and funding to change the trajectory for Black-owned business.
The Black Business Empowerment Commission (BBEC) is a collective of Black business owners and community and religious organizations that have come together across America to put forth a Plan for Black Economic Empowerment with a focus on Black business growth and development and workforce development. The goal is to make Black economic health in general, and Black business empowerment in particular, a priority for all elected officials.
BBEC's PRIMARY
ORGANIZERS
HARLEM BUSINESS ALLIANCE
Harlem Business Alliance (HBA) has been a force of advocacy for the development and empowerment of Harlem’s small business community since its founding in 1980. (HBA). HBA offers free individualized business consultations by a team of culturally sensitive and competent experts to aspiring entrepreneurs maneuvering through the start-up phase, as well as to established small business owners. www.hbany.org
WEG
WEG is an alliance of Harlem based Black entrepreneurs formed in 2018 in an effort to level the playing field for Black business owners in NYC. WEG seeks to buck the trend by advocating for Black-owned businesses and identifying contract opportunities and Black entrepreneurs prepared to accept the opportunity. www.wegnyc.org
NATIONAL BLACK UNITED FRONT-DALLAS TEXAS
National Black United Front (NBUF)-Dallas Texas Chapter is an organization comprised of concerned and committed individuals, as well as social, political, religious and cultural institutions in the Black community that have united to assume responsibility for working and leading the struggle for a better life for themselves and their children. NBUF includes the young, the elderly, students, the imprisoned, workers, and dropout all working together to overcome our common problems. In the words of Marcus Garvey, “Up you mighty race, you can accomplish what you will”.
DMGLOBAL MEDIA
DMGlobal Media is the creator of Bmorenews.com and HarlemBusinessJournal.com. Both Black news websites are designed specifically to cover the Black experience. Established in Baltimore, Maryland in 2002, DMGlobal Media has always been a proponent of Black business. With approximately $1.5 trillion in annual disposable income and given the proud Black American business legacy on which we stand, there is absolutely no reason why our Black businesses cannot succeed. Lastly, on December 31, 2019, DMGlobal Media established the National Black Wall Street Foundation. The purpose is to help preserve America's Black Wall Street history - one that goes far beyond Tulsa's Greenwood community, and also to help fortify Black businesses across the United States.
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PLANNING
COMMITTEE
Selma Bartholemew, PHD
Peter Bailey
Terrance Baker, PHD
Jim Belk
Harrison Blair
Leslie Bright
Dennis Bryant
Edrea Davis
Walter Edwards
Donald Glover
Cassandra Harris-Lockwood
Roy Hill
Zevilla Jackson Preston, R.A.
Ernest Lousse
Thomas Muhammad
Willie Nash
Lavonia Perryman
Aquana Raffington
Malcolm Shepard
Tajadeen Sirajj
Tamecca Seril
Cheryl Smith
Regina Smith
Lin Thomas
Ray Winbush
SUPPORTERS(List in formation)
A & A Associates Inc.
Abyssinian Baptist Church
Patreinna Acosta
Eric Adams
Oshi Adelabu
After Birth. Inc.
Ricardo Richie Aguirre Esq.
All Herbs
Alton Weekes New York
Apartment 5C Consulting
Curtis Archer
Nadia Aristide
Barbara Askins
A Peter Bailey
Lathesa Baker
Dietrich Bankhead
Cynthia Gyamfi Bannerman
Jean Paul Baptist
Barry Baptiste
Alioune Baraka
Steve Barnett
Selma Bartholemew
Selwyn Bartholemew
Cheryl Barzey
Walter Beach
Naima Beckles
Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation
Tatiana Belfield
Le Selle Benjamin
Gillian Berkowitz
Mona Biv-ees
Tren’ness Black
Harrison Blair
Lakeea Blake
Jonathan Bowles
Margeret Brewer
Leslie Bright
Julian Brimmers
Pierre Brooks
Juwariya Abdul-Karim Brown
Nicole Brown
Drew Brown
Dennis Bryant
Jasmin Bulger
Lynn Bunim
Mike Anthony Bunting
Althea Burton
Aretha Busby
Charles Butler
Lancelot Cameron
Nicole Cameron
Shauna Carr
Dr. Iva Carruthers
Eugene Carson
James Cassell
Christine Celuzza
Susan Chase
Abdul Chestnut
LaToya Chante Clark
LaChena Clark
Teddy Coleman
David Colon
Bettina Compass
Compass2Relaxation
Consortium of Black Educators
Baluanne Conteh
Shamair Coward
B. Creamer
Sophia Cruz
Jennifer Cunningham
Landon Dais
Larry Dais
Borna Danesh
Daitwan David
Betty Davis
Teri Delk
Inez Dickens
Dmfirm
Lloyd Doaman
Lloyd Douglas
Hamil Douglas
David Drumgold
Walter Edwards
Mahammoud Egal
Keith Ellison
Richard Ellison
Anthony Epps
experienceHARLEM
Imam Rasheed Farah
Marquee Ferguson
Danielle Ferrante
Robbin Finney Granston
For Your Birth
Sheree Carter Galvan
Carlton Gambrell
Tasèmere Gathers
Wendy George
GETEM GURLZ Hair Restoration Studio
John Gilchrist
GlobalMeetr LLC
Doni Glover
Glenda Grace
Granapoos Creations
Toriono Granger
Maria Granville
Baunita Greer
Tyrone Haamid
Hair By Karyne
Amir Makin Hamzah
Angie Hancock
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Harlem Community Newspapers, Inc.
Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement
Michele Harris
Arthur Harris
Robert Hart
Leo Hassan
Fred & Deb Haynes
Keisha Hickson
Joseph Holland
Alyah Horsford
Robert Horsford
Debra Hoskins
James Howard
Howard Howard
Reef Hustle
Stephane Hyacinthe
Imani Lia Fashions
Infrastructure Engineering
Earl Ingram
Lonnie Ingram
inkzny
Bassam Isa
Dr. Jeremiah Ivey Wright/Matute-Brooks
Izmira Tawfeek LLC
Veronica Jackson
Vogue Jackson
Dakari Jackson
Samari Jackson Preston
Zevilla Jackson Preston
Debra Jamison
Gromer Matthew Jeffers
Pastor Deb Jenkins
Bailey Jeremie
Dillon John
Michael Johnson
Kamilah Johnson
Dr. Chandra Jones
Lynee Jordan
J-P Design
Juwariya Abdu-karim
Lashon R. Kempson
Khadija
Kids Passport to Adventure
Curtis King
Andy King
KT Design
Lady Survivor Inc.
Bernard Lafayette
Bob Law
Legacy Pathways LLC
Legacy Plumbing & Heating
Level Windows and Doors, LLC
Aset Lewis
Craig Livingston
ThomasL opez-Pierre
Losman Plumbing & Heating Inc.
LRK Activewear
Garrett Lucien
Tiffany Lucks
M&M Piping & Heating, Inc.
Senegal Mabry
Madisyn Consulting Services, Inc.
Jacoya Major
Major Treasures
Adjua Manteba
Timothy Marshall
Lermond F. Mayes
Bill McCue
Cynthia McKinney
Tippy McTernan
Melbas
Kimberly Mezidor
Mia's Bathhouse for Pets, Inc.
Susann Miles
Racquel Miller
Jamella Montgomery
Deedra Morley-Artis
Carolyn Morris
Leroy/Kenneth Morrison
Brittany Morton
Mosque of the Islamic Brotherhood
Kahli Motoo
Thomas Muhammad
Bro. Julian Muhammad
J Muhammad2
Mary Mukisa
Nahdi Mukomana-Brown
Daryl Munford
Carl Napoleon
National Black Leadership Alliance
Lady Claudia Nelson
New York Real Estate Chamber
Gemma Noble
Nina
Donald Notice
Dean Obeidallah
Paul Antonio Ochoa
Damarcus Offord
Charles O'Neal
Abiodun Oyewole
Tisha Page
Paradise Ferry
Robert Parchment
Japheth Parrish Wright
Edna Pemberton
Elaine Perry
Amber Peters
Vanessa Pettiford
Phi Beta Sigma - Epsilon Sigma Chapter
Claude Pierre Pierre
Rosemonde Pierre-Louis
Maureen Plummer
Debashree Poddar
Posh Studio NYC LLC
PrepToOwn Education
Ebony Prescott
Michael Preston
Malcolm Punter
Aquana Raffington
Gina Ramcharan
Travern Randolph
Jamal Allen Rasheed
Kwabena Rasuli
Ivy Reeves
Resources Management Corporation
Carole Richards
Rightway Plumbing and Heating Inc.
Rigid Plumbing Heating & Sprinkler Contractor, Inc.
Anthony Riley
Evans Risher
Cid Rivera Jr.
Robert Parchment Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
Sheldon Roberts
Alfred Roberts
Shawn Rochester
Ruth Nathan's
Brian Ryes
Stanley Santana
Yina Santiago
Khadira Savage
Corinne Scott
Sensr Dsgn LLC
Tamecca Seril
Richard Shaw
Ericka P.Sinclair
Jamelia Small
Small's Medical Staffing, Inc.
Regina Smith
Cheryl Smith
Luther Smith
Angela Snowton
Kenneth Solomon
Soul Fusion NY
Sheekera Springs
SRW
Pat Stevenson
Caren Street
Michael Sutton
Sweet Suga Mama's
Marquita Sylvia
Kofi Taharka
Djenabou Tall
Jeanine Tate
Izmira Tawfeek
Teardrops of Elegances
Coach Terry
Alisha Trusty
Keita Turner
Akwete Tyehimba
Kimberly Tyre
Norma Adams Wade
Wadsworth Steele, Inc.
James Washington
Anthony Watson
Alton Weekes
Jarrod Whitaker
Dr. Tara White
Imani Whyte-Anigboro
Christopher Wibbe
Will-Do Plumbing, Inc.
Crystal Williams
Linda Williams
Sabrina Wilson
Valerie Wilson
Melba Wilson
Conrad Worrill
Shaqueena Yarbrough
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