October 4th 2023.
Louisville, Kentucky Mayor Craig Greenberg has recently taken a bold step in creating a more equitable economic future for the city. He has announced plans to form a task force to strengthen opportunities between Black-owned businesses and public and private investors.
Currently, a quarter of the population of Louisville identifies as Black but only three percent of the city’s businesses are Black-owned. This troubling discrepancy is what Greenberg is seeking to remedy by appointing Keisha Dorsey as executive director of the Equity in Contracting and Procurement Task Force.
"Equity will be a guiding principle in Louisville’s economic strategy for the future," said Greenberg. "We must do more to make sure the economy of the future reaches every Louisville neighborhood in ways we haven’t seen in the past. We know there is more to do to create the economy of the future to ensure that it helps all people in Louisville for the economy everyone deserves."
Local business owner Ben Jones has been one of the few Black entrepreneurs in the city for 40 years, with two locations for his Better Days Records stores. Despite his success, Jones has faced significant challenges in accessing funding for expansion due to a lack of access and support from the government.
"It didn’t matter what new structure or what way something was done; it is still based on collateral versus credit score versus who’s going to lend you the money," said Jones. "I always hear about ways that our community, our city, our government has things for Black businesses. And then my question is always, what and where are the Black businesses that you say you want to support?”
The Equity in Contracting and Procurement Task Force will be a crucial resource for Black and minority-owned businesses in Louisville to gain equal access to proposed investments. By providing this support, Mayor Greenberg is making great strides towards creating an equitable and prosperous economic future for the city.
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