Resilience is a Verb -The Urgency of Supporting Black/Brown Women Businesses.

As we face a global pandemic, conducting business, as usual, is no longer an option. While the coronavirus crisis has shown how we are all connected, it has also revealed the cracks in the system. Black people are dying at an alarming rate from COVID-19, which was amongst us before we had the opportunity to act. Today, our nation is being forced to confront the massive social and economic inequities that make Black communities particularly vulnerable in emergencies. This is also a gendered crisis, which will disproportionately harm women and their employment opportunities. That’s why Black women-owned businesses urgently need support.

I founded Black Girl Ventures four years ago to address the unique challenges Black women face along their entrepreneurial journeys. Black Girl Ventures advocates on behalf of women who have been excluded by the system, denied loans, rejected by VCs, and yet continue to persevere to bring their creative visions to fruition and sustain their families and communities. As a community of Black and Brown women founders creating access to social and financial capital together, our mission is more important now than ever before. Without access to capital, many Black women founders are struggling just to keep their heads above the water. They simply do not have the ability to save, invest, or weather economic shocks like the current pandemic.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been encouraged to see the Black Girl Ventures community come together in solidarity. Our online community, virtual crowdfunded pitch competitions, webinars, and Zoom coworking sessions offer safe spaces where Black women can exchange knowledge and resources, form partnerships, support one another, share struggles and celebrate victories. We are resilient and we know that by working together, we will overcome this threat. However, I want to live in a society where Black women entrepreneurs have the opportunity to thrive, not just survive. In 2020, America can no longer turn a blind eye to the Black experience. From employment to housing, access to credit and loans to health care, the legacy of exclusionary policies and institutionalized racism has left a festering wound in the American socioeconomic fabric that must be addressed.

For those who continue to deny that racism is an ongoing reality, let me paint you a picture. Recently, the Black Girl Ventures team was honored to welcome renowned actor Aunjanue Ellis and esteemed director Christine Swanson for a discussion about The Clark Sisters, a new film celebrating the fortitude of Black women and memorializing the lives of American gospel legends. Our virtual event was cut short when we were “Zoombombed” by five teenagers, who drowned out our conversation with racial slurs and broadcast pornography onto our screens. In the midst of global turmoil, to be the target of such vitriol was deeply disturbing. Their blatant efforts to terrorize reveal the underlying current of hostility and division in the American psyche. Sadly, it felt all too familiar. Wielding weapons ranging from whips to nooses, hoses to bombs, hearts ruled by hate have long sought to silence us and break our spirit. Still, we rise.

We all have a role to play in the collective healing of our nation and building of a better tomorrow. Start small. Call people and check-in; let them know they are not forgotten. Express gratitude to frontline workers. Triple the tip to your delivery person. Hire your hairstylist as a consultant. Support your local businesses. Now is the time to get creative about partnerships and how you include people. On a national scale, I’m calling on all decision-makers to do the right thing. That means injecting emergency funds into the communities who need it most. It means taking into account the damage caused by the discriminatory legislation and structural inequalities that prevent Black people from fully participating in the economy. It means putting people ahead of profit. This is not a suggestion but a moral imperative.

The road to economic recovery is going to belong and it’s going to take a concerted effort. We must move beyond our differences — political, economic, racial, religious — to solve this crisis. The choices we make today will reverberate for generations to come. Let’s lean into the challenge presented to us. Let’s make financial inclusion a top priority. Let’s work to gain the trust of communities of color. Let’s invest in Black women and small businesses. Let’s care for our most vulnerable populations. We must not squander this opportunity to rebuild better. Now is the time to plant the seeds for an inclusive economy and an equitable society. This is a test of the American character. May we bring forth our best selves and emerge from this wiser, kinder, and more united than ever before.