“Here We Are, Y’all!”
On May 18, Dr. Daniel Black, esteemed professor of Africana Studies at Clark Atlanta University (which happens to be my alma mater) and world-renowned author, delivered what has been proclaimed as the best commencement speech ever delivered in history. He opened his address with the announcement, “Here they come, ya’ll! Here they come! Here they come y’all, here they come!! Doctors, lawyers, writers, business owners, teachers, healers, rappers, preachers – here they come, y’all, here they come!!” The remainder of this address had the entire audience on their feet, waving fans, programs, and fists in the air while serving as a stark reminder of the power our Black communities have and our ability to change the world
August is Black Business Month, and we would be remiss if we didn’t take a little piece of Dr. Black’s speech and put the Herd stamp on it by saying, “Here we are, y’all, here we are,” because let’s be honest, we’ve always been here. According to National Business Today, the history of Black entrepreneurship can be traced back to the late 1700s — when free and enslaved Black people opened small businesses like barbershops and tobacco outlets. Black-owned firms rose with emancipation and then, despite the times, grew during the early 20th century.
The years between 1900 to 1930 were known as the ‘golden age’ for Black-owned businesses. Segregation helped nurture Black-owned districts, including Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There were other pivotal time frames reflecting the spirit of Black Business Month. One was the founding of the National Negro Business League in 1900 by the Booker T. Washington. Now called the National Business League, the organization calls itself America’s oldest and largest trade group for Black businesses
Twenty years ago, historian John William Templeton and entrepreneur Frederick E. Jordan Sr. founded Black Business Month to recognize and support black-owned businesses across the United States. The observance is also intentional about encouraging people to patronize Black businesses, raising awareness about the economic contributions of black entrepreneurs, and addressing challenges black business owners face.
Herd Strategies is a proud Black-owned business. Founded in 2011, this month will mark our 13th year of providing strategic communications counsel for clients in Indianapolis and beyond. Like all Black-owned businesses that have come before us, our journey has not been easy, but we are grateful for every challenge, racially tinged encounter, and barrier we have faced. These and many others have only made us stronger.
I encourage all of us to support Black business owners during August and all year. The opportunities are endless, and we have business owners serving customers within every industry you can imagine. This is why we have survived and caught every curve ball that society has thrown our way, because “Here we are, ya’ll, here we are.”