DELTA DEIBA August News

Happy August! This month we recognize and celebrate International Day of the World’s Indigenous People (Aug. 9), International Day for the Remembrance of Slavery (Aug. 23), Women’s Equality Day (Aug. 26), National Breastfeeding/Chestfeeding Month and National Black Business Month. 

Spotlight: August is National Black Business Month

Since 2004, August has been designated as National Black Business Month, an opportunity to discover, celebrate and patronize Black-owned businesses and service providers in the U.S. to positively impact the vitality of Black entrepreneurship, economic mobility and social justice efforts. 

Historically, Black Americans have struggled to procure financing for their business endeavors. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in January 2023 Black-owned businesses accounted for only 2.4% of all businesses in the nation with paid employees — but Black people make up about 15% of the U.S. population. 

Recent initiatives such as the 15 Percent Pledge aim to elevate Black-owned businesses by asking stores to dedicate 15% of shelf space to showcase their products. This is an attempt to rectify the systemic wealth discrepancies and racial bias that have negatively impacted Black communities and entrepreneurs.

Did you know?

• Black business ownership is up by almost 30% since before the pandemic.
• Black women start businesses at a higher rate than any other group.
• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 3.6 million Black-owned businesses in the United States, generating $217 billion in annual revenue and supporting more than 3.5 million U.S. jobs.
• Nearly 40 percent of Black-owned businesses are in health care and social assistance, repair and maintenance, and personal and laundry services.

Learn more

Support: Shop Black-owned brands and services by referring to sites like Find Black Brands, Support Black Owned, WeBuyBlack and Black-owned Etsy shops that showcase one-of-a-kind items from talented artisans.  

Learn: The Past, Present and Future of Black Entrepreneurship in America.

Share: On social media, use hashtags such as #ShopBlackOwned and #SupportBlackBusiness to elevate or find Black businesses. On Amazon, use #BlackisRemarkable.

Discover: The North Carolina Black Entrepreneurship Council supports the entrepreneurial aspirations and economic potential of North Carolina’s Black community.  

Explore: Bookshop.org curates a collection of highly-recommended books by Black authors across genres with BIPOC main characters.

Looking ahead to September

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15 – Oct 15)
National Guide Dog Month
Suicide Prevention Month
Intergeneration Month
National Addiction Recovery Month

DELTA DEIBA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Allyship) is an interest group engaging in topics and observances relevant to DEIBA work. Have a suggestion or want to get involved? Email DELTA DEIBA!