Empowerment Through Tech: Black Entrepreneurs Using Digital Resources to Thrive, Support Community

Sign up to stay connected Get the top stories of the day around the DMV. Two things can be true at once: marginalized communities suffer the detriment of digital and economic inequity; and Black businesses have thrived post-pandemic using the benefits of digital integration to strengthen and drive the Black ecosystem.  Coupled with the pressures to achieve economic development and combat capital discrimination, Black business owners have shown resilience, accounting for $217.3 billion in sales this year alone, according to the U.S Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy.  Digital inequities disproportionately plague African Americans, with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reporting roughly half of Black workers in 2020 had the proficient digital skills necessary in a tech-driven economy, compared with 77% of white workers). Despite the digital divide, Black businesses continue to thrive and grow, with entrepreneurs using technology to strengthen their businesses and empower Black communities overall.  @media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 400px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 640px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 100px;}} “When you look at the power of being intentional in designing meaningful access to the internet, [it] can have a really beneficial impact on our communities,” said Angela Bennett,...