Today, the African-American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ & DE hosted Mayor Cherelle L. Parker for a press conference and executive order signing highlighting the City’s updated contracting and procurement policies. As we navigate these policy shifts, we will move forward with realistic pragmatism: hopeful that Philadelphia’s Black business community will benefit from these new policies, while remaining vigilant of the discriminatory practices that led to the creation of MWBE programs across the nation.
For more than 30 years, the AACC has known that two things can be true at once: Black-owned businesses need protections when competing for government contracts while many of the policies put in place to support Black entrepreneurs need to be reassessed and reimagined. While limited access to capital and late payment on work performed are major factors that inhibit our ability to compete for government contracts, we still need access to these opportunities.
As a Chamber, we will continue to advocate for policies that are not only measurable and defendable, but also those that produce real impact. This includes equitable contracting practices that center the unique experiences and complex history of Black people in Philadelphia and across our region. However, as we have recently learned, these policy changes are happening whether we fully support them or not. That’s why we will continue to serve as a trusted messenger, ensuring that AACC members and Black businesses across our City have a strong and unified voice raising your concerns and seeing that they are addressed.
At a recent community roundtable discussion on the Parker Administration’s Small and Local Business Program, we made it clear what our nonnegotiables were and what role we will play in ensuring that these new policies do not harm the Black business community. During this time of uncertainty, the AACC will do more than simply advocate for opportunities that lead to additional business growth. We will continue to serve as a custodian on behalf of Black entrepreneurs. When we see a leaky roof, we will jump in to repair it and when we witness inequity, we will unapologetically call it out.
In this moment, there is nothing more important than holding and keeping safe the interests of Black-owned businesses because these interests align with those of the Black community. We cannot solve hunger, homelessness, income inequality, the racial wealth gap, or any other major issue impacting our community without empowering and growing Black businesses. This is why we have been working to increase Black business density in our region, long before the reports, and why we will continue to host timely programs such as the National Convening of Black Mayors.
The AACC is excited to announce the formation of a Special Task Force on Economic Access and Procurement. This Task Force will focus on advancing economic mobility through procurement, access to capital, and other resources that will accelerate the growth of members and the region’s Black-owned small and midsize business community. We look forward to our continued work with the Parker Administration and learning how we can further uplift Black business owners through the Small and Local Business Program.
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The African-American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ & DE (AACC) exists to support, advocate for, and elevate African American-owned businesses and professionals across the region. Through access, policy, and partnership, the Chamber is committed to transforming opportunity into action for sustainable economic advancement.
