Atlanta Business League (ABL) 17th Annual Congress on the State of Black Business in Metro Atlanta

By Milton Kirby – Kirby Photo Suite (KirbyPhotoSuite.com)

Atlanta, Georgia – For 17 years the Atlanta Business League (ABL) has been examining the state of Black Business in Atlanta. On Thursday, April 13, 2024, the tradition continued with the 17th Annual Congress on the State of Black Business in Metro Atlanta.

The 17th Annual Congress kicked off with an opening address by DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond. He acknowledged colleagues from surrounding counties and municipalities as well as past commissioners and candidates for the DeKalb County CEO position, Larry Johnson and Lorraine Cochran-Johnson. CEO Thurmond talked about the opportunities that are being created by Black businesses in DeKalb County as well as some of the challenges being faced by those businesses. One of the CEO’s proud moments was the establishment of the “DeKalb First” mantra. It came about because of visionary leaders in the county.

One of the CEO’s final comments to the Black business leaders, was “Through faith and hard work all things are possible. Do not grow weary.”

The event consisted of four-panel discussions including Black Business and Community Development, Real Estate Development and Housing, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and A Look Into Infrastructure.

One of the most robust discussions with the audience occurred when the panel covering Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (D, E & I) took center stage. The panel consisted of Rodney Strong, CEO, Griffin Strong; Tasha Allen, VP, Talent Management & Diversity, Georgia Chamber of Commerce; Roosevelt Giles, president & CEO, EndPoint Ventures, LLC; Stacey Key, president & CEO, Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council; Valerie Nesbitt, Director Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability, Norfolk Southern; and Julia Settles, Business Diversity manager, Southeast Region, Burns & McDonnell. The panel was moderated by Donna Ennis, director, Diversity Engagement & Program Development, Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute.

Mr. Strong set the stage with opening remarks that were so compelling that the audience seemed to be stunned by the frankness and the degree to which rights and opportunities were being masterfully, legislated away in the U.S. Congress by the use of confusing and nebulous language in bills being passed by Congress.

Stacey Key, president of the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Conference, also pointed out that on March 23rd the Senate voted 74-24 to pass the $1.2 trillion government funding bill after heated last-minute negotiations just barely averting a government shutdown. However, included in the fine print of the bill was a provision defunding and eliminating the U.S. House Office of Diversity & Inclusions. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) was a non-partisan and non-legislative support office with the U.S. House of Representatives (USHR or House). The mission of ODI was to help employing offices create and cultivate a congressional workforce within USHR that was reflective of the American people. The office’s mission and vision were reflected in its overall strategic goal, which was to “put the people in the people’s house.”

Some of the main take-a-ways of the D, E & I panel discussion included but were not limited to: there are some well-funded and well-organized entities that are using the courts and state legislatures to enact laws that are detrimental to Black businesses and, Black business owners should spend your dollars carefully by supporting and purchasing from corporations that continue to operate with D, E & I as a guiding principle. Vote for and support with campaign contributions to elected officials and those who seek political office who represent the interests and values that the business leaders hold dear.

Some of the good news included the codification of the Minority Business Development Agency in the passage of the Infrastructure Bill passed by the Biden Administration. Secondly, Secretary of Transportation Pete Butteries announced on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, the modernization of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program and Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program Regulations a major component of which was the adjusting the personal net worth (PNW) cap for inflation for small business owners, including excluding retirement assets from the calculation.

Leona Bar Davenport, president and CEO of the Atlanta Business League shared with the audience that in its 17-year history, this was the first time that the Congress on the State of Black in Metro Atlanta was being held outside of Fulton County. She went on to say that DeKalb County is one of the most culturally diverse counties in the nation. For the second year in a row, metro Atlanta has one of the highest numbers of Black businesses in the country with approximately 11,000 businesses.

In addition to the discussions of the state of Black business in metro Atlanta, the ABL awarded a special recognition of Alice White Bussey, owner of Bussey Florist & Gifts for her many contributions to Black businesses and black business education during her illustrious career. The award was presented by Ryan Wilson, ABL chairman of the board and co-founder of the Gathering Spot.