There is something powerful about seeing a Black-owned business thrive.
It is the storefront with the lights on. The restaurant filled with familiar faces. The consultant closing another deal. The entrepreneur turning an idea into a company, a legacy, and perhaps one day, an opportunity for someone else.
For more than a century, the Chicago Defender has understood that Black business is about far more than commerce. It is about independence, opportunity, representation and community.
Our pages have long told the stories of Black entrepreneurs who refused to wait for permission to build. They created businesses when doors were closed to them. They employed neighbors, mentored young people, invested in their communities and proved repeatedly that economic empowerment is an essential part of building thriving communities.
Today, that legacy continues, but the landscape is changing.
Black entrepreneurs are building brands online, launching startups, creating consulting firms, developing technology, opening restaurants and boutiques, producing content, managing investment portfolios and turning expertise into businesses. The definition of entrepreneurship has expanded, and so has the opportunity.
But opportunity alone is not enough.
We have to support Black business beyond the celebration.
That means moving from liking a business on social media to actually purchasing from it. It means referring a Black-owned company when someone asks for a recommendation. It means paying invoices on time, respecting the value of professional services and creating meaningful opportunities for Black businesses to compete for corporate and institutional contracts.
And for those of us who own businesses, it means looking beyond ourselves.
Build relationships. Share information. Make introductions. Collaborate. Mentor. Create opportunities. When possible, hire within our communities and create pathways for the next generation to learn what entrepreneurship really looks like.
Because success becomes even more meaningful when it creates a ripple effect.
One of the things I appreciate most about Black business is its resilience. We have historically found ways to create when resources were limited and access was restricted. We have built businesses from kitchen tables, barbershops, beauty salons, storefronts, professional offices and, increasingly, from laptops and smartphones.
But resilience should not mean that we are expected to continually overcome barriers that should no longer exist.
We need access to capital. We need equitable procurement opportunities. We need financial education. We need mentorship and succession planning. We need stronger networks among Black-owned businesses. And we need consumers, corporations and institutions to recognize that supporting Black business is not simply a feel-good gesture, it is an investment in economic vitality.
As a publisher, I also understand the responsibility of telling these stories.
The Chicago Defender was never simply a newspaper. From the pages of our historic print editions to our digital platform today, we have been a place where Black achievement is documented, celebrated and preserved.
That responsibility remains especially important when it comes to Black business.
Behind every business is a story. There is the founder who took a risk. The family that sacrificed. The employee who believed in the vision. The customer who showed up. The mentor who opened a door. And sometimes, there is a young person watching it all and thinking, I can do that, too.
That is the story worth telling.
As we continue our Road to 20, we are reminded that legacy is not simply about looking backward. Legacy is about what we build today that will still matter tomorrow.
So this month, I encourage you to do more than celebrate Black business.
Support it. Patronize it. Partner with it. Invest in it. Recommend it. Tell its story.
And if you are a Black entrepreneur reading this, I encourage you to keep building. Your business may be more than a business. It may be someone else’s proof that ownership is possible.
From the pages to the publisher, we will continue to celebrate the people who are building, creating, employing, innovating and investing in our communities.
Because when Black business thrives, communities have the opportunity to thrive with it.
And that is a legacy worth building.
— Dyanna Knight Lewis
Publisher, Chicago Defender
