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Rural Minority Entrepreneurs Share Concerns for Growing Businesses at Regional Listening Forum
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Posted On: Friday June 3rd, 2005 at 12:00am EDT
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SUMMARY
Clarksdale, Miss., -- A total of 363 minority business owners, government and business leaders turned out May 25, for the regional listening forum held in Clarksdale, Miss., to recommend to the United States Department of Agriculture ways to improve its delivery of business programs to minority entrepreneurs.
Hosted by the Delta Regional Authority, USDA Rural Development, and U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), the meeting in Clarksdale was the first of three that will be held in the United States this year. The second is scheduled for Albuquerque in June and the third will be in Fresno in July.
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MBDA National Director Ron Langston, left, and DRA Federal Co-chair Pete Johnson chat
before the listening forum program begins. View Other Photo Highlights
Officials on hand to listen to entrepreneurs make their recommendations for improving services included Gilbert Gonzalez, acting under secretary for Rural Development, USDA; Pete Johnson, federal co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority; Ronald Langston, national director of the Minority Business Development Agency, Department of Commerce; Robert M. Henderson, MBDA Atlanta Regional Director, and Bill Hagy, USDA-RD deputy administrator for business programs.
Johnson said he was extremely pleased with how the day-long meeting turned out. One of several federal officials to welcome the crowd, Johnson charged the audience to take full advantage of the meeting, and he acknowledged the USDA for its role in planning the forum and the support it has given the Delta through its partnership with the DRA.
“We’re truly honored that the USDA would choose this site as one of the three that will host a forum this year,” Johnson said. “Over the past three years, DRA partnerships with the USDA have helped to create more than 10,000 new jobs while retaining an additional 9,112 jobs for a total of 19,457. In addition, more than 20,000 families and countless others will be enjoying the benefits of safe water and sanitary sewer disposal as a result of these partnerships.”
Gonzalez emphasized that the goal of the forum was to listen to the challenges business owners face and to increase minority entrepreneurship. “We will respond in writing to your comments, concerns in the hope that this will help to increase the flow of capital to historically under funded communities.”
Langston emphasized that MBDA and USDA are committed to working together to serve and make a difference in Rural America. Citing statistics from the Department of Commerce, MBDA’s parent company, Langston said that while 13.1% or roughly 20,000 of firms in Mississippi are owned by minorities, they represent only 1.63% of revenue. In Louisiana 14% of firms are owned by minorities and total 1% of the revenues. Alabama minorities own 10% or 28,000 of the state’s businesses and make up just 1.35% of total revenues.
“If we are going to support minority business in America, these numbers must change,” Langston said.”
Visitors also had the opportunity to network all day with each and with federal, state and local agencies, companies and non-profits that set up in the expo halls.
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SOURCES
DRA Communiqué - Listening Forum
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