

10:00 am EST - 11:00 am EST
Past Event
America’s Black-owned businesses are confronting two national crises. First is the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought an acute and sudden shock to small businesses, with 75% of small business owners reporting being negatively impacted by COVID-19. Second are the long-term, structural racial disparities in business ownership, which continue to undercut the nation’s business dynamism and Black Americans’ prosperity and wealth. Without addressing the long-standing injustices that constrain Black business ownership and growth, economic recovery from COVID-19 will be less equal and less dynamic.
As part of the COVID-19 Metro Recovery Watch, the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program hosted the culminating event in a series highlighting principles and strategies for advancing inclusive economic recovery. The event focused on Black-owned business support as a path to a robust and equitable recovery. Brookings Fellow Andre M. Perry previewed new analysis on Black business ownership and development goals. A panel of leaders then outlined strategies to spur creation and growth of Black-owned businesses at the local level, and how corporate America and the federal government can support their bottom-up efforts.
Viewers submitted questions by emailing [email protected] or tweeting to @BrookingsMetro using the hashtag #MetroRecovery.
Jennifer Doleac, Anna Harvey, Jonathon Attridge, Erin Dalton, Dan Kreisman, Weston Merrick, Anthony F. Pipa, Jenni Owen, Jim Sullivan
May 16, 2025
Manann Donoghoe, Hannah Stephens, Farah Khan, Andre M. Perry
April 30, 2025
Jonathan Katz, Renée Rippberger
April 3, 2025