MIAMI – On Aug. 2, the Miami-Dade Black Affairs Advisory Board (BAAB), joined the Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust (MDEAT), Vice Chairman Oliver G. Gilbert III, Commissioner Kionne L. McGhee, Commissioner Jean Monestime, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) leaders, Office of the Mayor representatives, BAAB board members, and community partners to kick off Black Business Month.
(From L-R) BAAB Board Member LaChanze Thomas, BAAB Program Director Retha Boone-Fye, BAAB Chairman Pierre Rutledge, GMCVB Multicultural Tourism & Development Director Petra Brennan, GMCVB President & CEO David Whitaker, Vice Chairman Oliver G. Gilbert III, Commissioner Kionne L. McGhee, Commissioner Jean Monestime, BAAB Board Member Dr. Tisa McGhee, Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust Executive Director William “Bill” Diggs, and Deputy Director from the Office of the Mayor Michaeljohn Green Photo by Godfrey Mead, Miami-Dade CountyNational Black Business Month is devoted to supporting and celebrating black-owned businesses (BOB) across the country. Black Business Month is about highlighting this entrepreneurial community and making sure more Black-Owned businesses can reach higher levels of success.
Commissioner Kionne McGhee sponsored a resolution officially declaring August as “Black Business Month” for Miami Dade County, which passed with the support of the Board of County Commissioners and Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. The month-long initiative was developed in partnership with our Black Affairs Advisory Board and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB). Community partners include the Miami Dade Public Library System, Miami Dade Tax Collector, Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council; Miami Dade Chamber of Commerce; Miami Dade NAACP; and Miami MBDA Business Center, among others.
The small business community in America forms the bedrock of the country’s economy. A 2019 study from the Small Business Administration states that small businesses "create two-thirds of net new jobs" and account for "44% of U.S. economic activity." But according to the U.S. Census Bureau, only about 2 million of the over 30 million small businesses in the United States are owned by African Americans. See statistics below:
- BOBs comprise 51,285 of the 468,185 business firms throughout Miami Dade County (10.95%)
- BOBs generate over $2.3 Billion in annual sales, receipts, and total value of shipments.
- BOBs employ a total of 12,227 individuals
- BOBs managed a combined annual payroll of over $320 million.
- Ranked 5th in the nation for largest number of Black-owned employer businesses.
