The Building of A Black Community: Inside Wilmington Delaware’s Black Business Boom

by Jeroslyn JoVonn April 22, 2024 Wilmington, Delaware, has a booming Black business scene that amplifies the city’s rich Black history. Wilmington, Delaware, is a quaint northeastern city with charm, a nearly 200-year history, and a constantly evolving business and residential community. With a Black/African American population of over 50%, the city serves as the perfect breeding ground for a Black-owned business to thrive. BLACK ENTERPRISE was recently invited to tour Greater Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley’s Black business scene and saw firsthand how eager the predominantly Black community was to receive visibility on their thriving entrepreneurial pursuits. From food, hospitality, and the arts to education and community building, Wilmington offers Black businesses of all sizes the opportunity and resources needed to blossom. Whether Black-owned or Black-led, there are very few businesses in Wilmington where Black Excellence isn’t at the forefront. As one of the last stops to freedom aboard Harriet Tubman’s Underground Railroad, Wilmington holds deep African-American history and culture that can be traced and experienced through a simple walk or drive through the city. With rich Black heritage, community, and infrastructure, many out-of-towners have started to catch on to why Wilmington, Delaware, was deemed a top state to...