PBS NewsHour | Retail village helps Black businesses rebound from pandemic | Season 2024

FOUR YEARS AGO BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES WERE AMONG THE HARDEST HIT BY THE DISRUPTION OF THE PANDEMIC. MANY OF THEM HAVE REBOUNDED, AND IN ONE RETAIL SPACE IN WASHINGTON D.C., SUPPORTING LOCAL BLACK ENTREPRENEURS HAS BEEN A KEY MISSION. FROM THE NEWSHOUR’S STUDENT REPORTING LABS JOURNALISM TRAINING PROGRAM, MORGAN HAWKINS HAS THE STORY. >> WE ARE A TRIBE HERE, LIKE A BLACK WALL STREET TRIBE. MORGAN: SYCAMORE AND OAK IN SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON, D.C. IS A RETAIL VILLAGE SHOWCASING 12 BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES, RANGING FROM A FOOD MARKET AND ART BOUTIQUE TO A GYM. IT ALSO SERVES AS A COMMUNITY SPACE THAT SUPPORTS BLACK ENTREPRENEURS THROUGH TRAINING AND MENTORSHIP. >> SYCAMORE AND OAK HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE RESOURCE FOR MYSELF AND FOR MY BUSINESS. COMING IN HERE AS A SMALL BUSINESS, IT HAS BEEN AN INCUBATOR SPACE WHERE WE LEARN ALL THE PROFESSIONAL THINGS. MORGAN: THIS RETAIL VILLAGE OPENED IN JUNE OF 2023, ONE OF MANY BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES TO OPEN IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS’ ANNUAL BUSINESS SURVEY, THE NUMBER OF MAJORITY BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES HAS GROWN BY NEARLY 30% SINCE 2017. BUT BLACK ENTREPRENEURS STILL FACE STRUGGLES, ACCORDING TO BRIDGET WESTON, THE CEO OF SCORE, A NONPROFIT FREE MENTOR...