Making America Great by Supporting Black Chambers

Oct 11

7 min read

We all need something. When you slow down and you talk to any business owner, they will tell you that we are living in uncertain times. Inflation, AI, the housing market, access to capital, global competition, new technology, a lack of skilled labor, and legislative shifts are changing market demand. Some people need more capital to fund a project. Others want more training to help them lead more effectively, build better processes, or refine their business model. Many people say they need talent, whether that's mentorship and advisory services or employees and service providers.

Blue poster reads SUPPORTING BLACK CHAMBERS, 8 LESSONS FROM THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE; beside it, a museum display of framed art and books. imagery of black men, eagles, american flags

All of these can be summarized as business owners needing clarity on the path from where they are to where they aspire to be. Our world is full of possibilities, options, and information. Technology, especially AI and the internet, is making all of these far more accessible. Our world is also full of risk. Most of us live with the fear or anxiety of making the wrong decision. With so much misinformation, urban legends, and self-improvement myths, it is becoming increasingly hard to know the “right path.”

One of life's secrets is that you can't know in the moment whether a decision is good or bad. There are decisions.

There are outcomes.

There are reactions to those outcomes.

If you are lucky, when you look back at the decisions you have made, you see a thread that connects all of your experiences and reflects positively on the growth and impact you have made. Your experiences are what make you special and unique. They create your value. They fuel your passion.

The U.S. Black Chamber National Conference

Earlier this year, I applied to speak at the U.S. Black Chamber Conference. I did so because I thought it could help me accomplish three goals.

I could make a positive impact within the Black Business Community.
I could raise awareness of the coaching and consulting services I provide.
I could gather information that would strengthen my local chamber of commerce

With help from Ervin Clarke, president of the Central Virginia African American Chamber, I was selected to lead a workshop on Leading Forward: Strategic Planning for 2027. This past week was a great experience, and below are my 8 biggest takeaways from the conference.

Being Present Matters

The conference was a three-day event. Day 1 focused on learning and networking. Day 2 focused on advocacy. Day 3 was for planning and celebration. I participated in Days 1 and 2. Being there gave me the opportunity to connect with Chamber Leaders, Sponsors, and Chamber employees from across the country. These new connections expanded my network, provided me with new perspectives, and a “black-print” for how I can scale my influence and impact in my community.

Being Prepared Matters

Earlier, I mentioned having 3 goals. Having clear goals ahead of time helped me see opportunities for connection as they arose. I had meaningful conversations with Chamber Leaders from Georgia, Las Vegas, New Mexico, Wisconsin, and Illinois, and connected with representatives from U.S. Bank, Alibaba, and America Investment Council. I learned about programs they were running across the country, which I can socialize and potentially test in Central Virginia

Training Matters

I had the opportunity to sit in on a Fundraising Bootcamp for Chamber Leaders workshop led by Charise Stephens-Meriweather, Executive Director of The Georgia Coalition for Black Chambers. She walked us through building relationships with elected officials and crafting funding asks. She explained that we should have a plan to access Local, State, Federal, and Bank Community Reinvestment Act funds.

Planning Matters

One of the things I enjoyed most about the conference was the opportunity to go to Capitol Hill. A week before the conference, Chamber leadership held a virtual call titled “Know before you go”. During the call, they discussed the details of Hill Day and provided a worksheet to help attendees craft their elevator pitch and ask. They also encouraged each participant to create a one-page leave-behind. This exercise helped me organize my thoughts ahead of the conference and feel prepared to talk with various stakeholders.

Partnerships Matters

One theme throughout this conference was getting to know people with power and money, understanding their goals, and crafting partnership opportunities. For example, Emir Horton, a Philly-based watch manufacturer, shared his origin story at the conference. With Alibaba's help, he went from being a guy with a dream to sell watches to CEO of his own luxury watch brand. Alibaba provided training and workshops that helped him learn how to connect with overseas suppliers to make his watches. He continues to partner with them as he tries to sell products outside the U.S. Michelle Viterise of Alibaba told me that countries like China love U.S. goods, and U.S. companies have significant opportunities to grow by producing products and shipping them to China. Alibaba is looking for U.S. based companies to produce products that can be marketed in China. They are willing to support businesses in pursuing that goal.

Strategy Matters

A second theme that recurred throughout the conference was the importance of executing the USBC Six Pillars of service: advocacy, access to capital, access to contracting, entrepreneur training, chamber development, and media. Ron Busby’s theory is that we can not have a strong America if we do not have a strong Black America. To have a strong Black America, we need strong Black Businesses. He believes Black Chambers and Black Media play a vital role in providing Black businesses with the support, advocacy, exposure, and capital they need not just to survive, but to thrive.

Policy Matters

Over the last year, we have seen policy shifts that have had a disproportionate impact on the black community. DOGE, changes at the SBA, and the “War on DEI” have impacted the black community in multiple ways. During the conference, attendees acknowledged that the current federal administration's policies and messaging have constrained growth in black wealth development, and they called for action to document and communicate the impact. Those with political power and influence need to understand the risks of federal spending changes that disproportionately harm one segment of the population.

American Values Matter

During the trip, I visited the Library of Congress. As I walked through the building, I felt inspired by America's story. We are a nation that was founded on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We have fought wars together, fought wars with each other, divided like fingers on an open hand, and have come together as a fist. Now is the time to stop focusing on our differences and focus on what we have in common.

We all want to feel safe.

We all want to feel heard.

We all want a fair chance to pursue our dreams.

The Business Case for Unity

One of my biggest takeaways from the conference was that we can accomplish more together than apart; a thumb is different from a finger, but it's still part of a hand, and a hand accomplishes more when all its parts work together.

This year’s conference was smaller than the one that I attended four years ago. That conference had a lot more sponsors. We were in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement's racial reckoning, and many organizations wanted to support Black Chambers at a high level. Support for Black Businesses and Black Chambers ebbs and flows like the tide. Our history has seen black business boom during segregration, flater under integration, and have a revival during this century. .

Companies that were once major sponsors and attendees opted not to be present this year. Some like Google, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Meta, Walmart, T-Mobile, PhRMA, Alibaba, RAI, The Home Depot, and Penn Entertainment continue to sponsor events. We are in a moment in time, were some politicians and corporate executives no longer see the value of specifically helping people of color. The hypothesis is that racism is minimal, and that current programs are harming America, and more specifically White Americans. The removal of DEI, changes at the SBA, and reductions in government grants and subsidies are framed as ways to support American prosperity and equity. For the good of our nation, I hope the current administration's actions support economic prosperity for all. History has shown us in the past that a Strong America doesn’t necessarily equate to positive living conditions for black folk.

Why Black Chambers Exist

Black Chambers exist because Black Business owners often feel they don't have enough of a voice within other organizations.

All business owners have challenges accessing capital, but research shows that Black Americans, on average, have 30 cents of capital, compared to every $1 a White American has.
All business owners face challenges getting contracts, but Black business owners win a smaller share. Analysis from the White House shows that minority-owned businesses make up 33% of all U.S.-based firms; they receive only 10% of Federal contracts.
All business owners can benefit from entrepreneurship training and networking with experts. Programs like SCORE, APEX, SBA, and Kauffman Foundation’s 1Million Cups program provide equal access to experts who are often inaccessible to individuals in low-income or minority communities.

Black businesses do not need handouts or special treatment. They need equal access and opportunity. They need relationships with people who can teach them how, where, when, and why they should start a business. My biggest takeaway from the conference is that Black Chambers play a vital role in American Prosperity. They are the voice of the voiceless, a connector to the unconnected, and a teacher for those who aspire to pursue freedom and independence through entrepreneurship and small-business pursuits.