National Black Business Month is celebrated every August to recognize the contributions, achievements, and resilience of Black-owned businesses and to acknowledge the barriers and challenges they face. More than 3.1 million Black-owned businesses operate in the U.S., generating over $200 billion in annual revenue. This national commemoration was created in 2004 by historian John William Templeton and engineer Frederick E. Jordan Sr. to bring focus to the specific needs and goals of Black business owners. The Black Owned Business Association of Amherst Area (BBAAA) encourages the Amherst community to learn about and support local Black-owned businesses during National Black Business Month.

Black-owned businesses play a vital role in strengthening the local economy through job creation, generating tax revenue, and participation in the circulation of local spending. Supporting black-owned businesses is an investment in the community as it promotes a more inclusive economy. Every action that local community members, organizations, and institutions make in support of Black-owned businesses, such as purchasing goods, paying providers for services, making business referrals, forming partnerships, amplifying success stories, and providing opportunities to bid on contracts, will help foster equitable economic growth.

BBAAA, founded in 2016, is a 501c3 nonprofit membership organization dedicated to advancing the visibility, sustainability, and success of its members. Its goals are to:

• Empower members by connecting them to business resources that lead to successful, scalable, and sustainable businesses.
• Explore business opportunities and expansion through referrals, partnerships, technical assistance, and networking.
• Increase visibility by promoting and marketing products and services of BBAAA members on social media and other outlets.
• Educate, advocate, and elevate the voices of BBAAA members to access capital, business resources, and technical assistance for business growth, job creation, and community investment.
• Provide mentorship and apprenticeship to members and local black aspiring entrepreneurs to obtain sustainable businesses

BBAAA gives back to the community by sponsoring free community and cultural events such as Juneteenth Jubilee, Kwanzaa, and Black History Month gatherings. BBAAA membership includes, but is not limited to barber shops, beauty salons, performing and visual arts studios, retail shops, restaurants, bakeries, African fashion businesses, healthcare and wellness providers, transportation and logistics companies, authors and writers, consulting firms, creative industries, online retailers, gift shops, clothing botiques, fashion designers, caterers, courier services, cleaning services, and auto repair and detailing shops. These businesses reflect the culture and heritage of the communities that they serve. 

For a listing of BBAAA member businesses, look here: https://bbaaa.org/members/
For more information on the BBAAA go to: www.bbaaa.org.
To contact the BBAAA: bbaamherst@gmail.com

The Black Business Association of Amherst Area