[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 667 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 667

  Expressing support for the designation of August as National Black 
Business Month and to honor the contributions of Black-owned businesses 
                       across the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 29, 2023

Ms. Crockett (for herself, Ms. Norton, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. 
 Carson, Mr. Mullin, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Landsman, Mr. Thanedar, 
 Mr. McGarvey, Ms. Sewell, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Green of Texas, 
   Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Brown, Mr. Payne, Ms. Pressley, Ms. 
 Plaskett, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Ms. McClellan, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, 
 and Mr. Mfume) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing support for the designation of August as National Black 
Business Month and to honor the contributions of Black-owned businesses 
                       across the United States.

Whereas businesses serve as one of the main drivers of the United States economy 
        and are crucial to the overall success of the country;
Whereas Black-owned businesses have played an instrumental role in advancing 
        African-Americans' status and promoting Black culture throughout 
        history;
Whereas African Americans founded and developed the Greenwood District of Tulsa, 
        Oklahoma, also known as ``Black Wall Street'', in the early 1900s to 
        direct revenue into their own community to ensure economic stability due 
        to racial discrimination at that time;
Whereas Black Wall Street was considered one of the wealthiest Black communities 
        in the United States with Black-owned businesses such as barber shops 
        and salons, clothing stores, jewelers, restaurants, theaters, grocery 
        stores, and medical legal offices, until the Tulsa Race Massacre of 
        1921;
Whereas, in the 1930s to 1960s, The Negro Motorist Green Book was distributed 
        across the United States that highlighted, among other things, Black-
        owned businesses in order to enable Black travelers to find lodgings, 
        businesses, and gas stations amidst segregation;
Whereas recent significant strides have been made regarding the growth of Black-
        owned businesses in the United States;
Whereas, in 1971, Johnson Products Company, which sold hair care and cosmetic 
        products for Black consumers, became the first Black-owned company to 
        trade on the American Stock Exchange;
Whereas, in 1991, the Black Entertainment Television, or ``BET'', became the 
        first Black-owned company to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange;
Whereas the largest industry areas for Black-owned businesses are in the areas 
        of health care, social assistance, retail trade, transportation, 
        warehousing, accommodations, and food services;
Whereas, from 2017 to 2020, the number of Black-owned businesses across the 
        country increased by over 13 percent, an amount larger than overall 
        businesses growth, which increased by less than 1 percent over the same 
        period;
Whereas, in 2020, Black business owners employed 1.321 million people, and 
        created 48,549 new jobs, adding an additional $1.7 billion in aggregate 
        payroll to the United States economy;
Whereas roughly 38 percent of all Black-owned businesses were woman-owned in 
        2020;
Whereas Black-women-owned businesses represent the fastest growing group of 
        entrepreneurs to come out of the pandemic;
Whereas roughly 67 percent of Black-women-owned businesses are the owner's 
        primary source of income;
Whereas, in May 2023, roughly 3,455,000 businesses were Black-owned 
        (representing approximately 12.7 percent of the total businesses), with 
        receipts of $83.6 billion;
Whereas today there are hundreds of Black Chambers of Commerce established 
        across cities in the United States;
Whereas, despite the growth and impact of Black-owned businesses on the United 
        States economy, Black business owners and entrepreneurs continue to face 
        substantial barriers, such as financing and access to capital, that 
        limit their ability to expand their businesses and leverage new 
        entrepreneurial opportunities;
Whereas Black-owned businesses are more likely to be denied loans and are more 
        likely to pay higher interest rates than non-minority businesses;
Whereas Black-owned businesses are historically smaller in size and scale to 
        their non-minority business counterparts;
Whereas industries and associations have recently put forth renewed efforts 
        advocating for consumers to invest in, and buy from, Black-owned 
        businesses over the last 3 years; and
Whereas Congress permanently established the Minority Business Development 
        Agency within the Department of Commerce as a part of the Bipartisan 
        Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 to promote the growth and 
        competitiveness of minority-owned businesses: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) celebrates the work of Black-owned businesses and their 
        employees for their achievements and advancements within the 
        community;
            (2) recognizes that Black-owned businesses continue to face 
        significant barriers and challenges to forming, growing, and 
        expanding within the economy, both at home and abroad;
            (3) acknowledges that Congress must work with business and 
        industry leaders, and also when appropriate, executive branch 
        agencies, to help expand entry for Black-owned businesses into 
        the market; and
            (4) supports the designation of ``National Black Business 
        Month''.
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