‘Florida ranks number one’: Hear how Black-owned businesses help shape the local economy

February is Black History Month, a time when many remember and celebrate important people and events in our local community and history.WPBF 25 is highlighting some of those struggles and successes.Black-owned businesses play a key role in our economy.Georgia Mae’s Restaurant opened its West Palm Beach location about two years ago.Before that, the owner, Boris Seymore, or “Chef Boris,” said he was catering.The business is named after his grandmother.The menu has a familial theme.There’s Georgia Mae’s Fried Chicken, Auntie Loretta’s Oxtails, and Fat Harry’s Pork Chops.”One of our favorites is the Little Lynn’s Catfish,” Seymore said. “That’s named after my grandfather Lynn Caldwell.”Family means everything to Chef Boris; it’s something he had in mind when he started his business.”I just wanted to create some generational wealth because that’s a big thing that’s lacking in our culture,” Seymore said. “So, I know it has to start with us in order to change. It only changes if you change it, so I decided to build a brand off of my grandmother because I know she would be proud of me.”According to the Pew Research Center:In 2021, there were 161,031 U.S. firms with majority Black ownershipA notable increase from 124,004 in 2017Only about...