IV 

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 


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‘‘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 Blackowned 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, 


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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; 


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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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) celebrates the work of Black-owned busi3 nesses and their employees for their achievements 

4 and advancements within the community; 

5 (2) recognizes that Black-owned businesses con6 tinue to face significant barriers and challenges to 

7 forming, growing, and expanding within the econ8 omy, both at home and abroad; 

9 (3) acknowledges that Congress must work with 

10 business and industry leaders, and also when appro11 priate, executive branch agencies, to help expand 

12 entry for Black-owned businesses into the market; 

13 and 

14 (4) supports the designation of ‘‘National Black 

15 Business Month’’. 

Æ 


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