They were having a tough time before COVID-19, too.
That s the lament of Larry Ivory, president and CEO of the Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce. He also is current chairman of the National Black Chamber of Commerce.
Based in Downtown Peoria, the state chamber seeks to create sustainable opportunities and reduce economic disparities for businesses owned by minority groups and by women.
According to the chamber, more than 144,000 Black-owned businesses exist in Illinois. But Ivory estimated less than 1% of the businesses in Peoria are owned and operated by African Americans.
In a recent conversation, Ivory discussed local Black-owned enterprises, why local residents can be mindful of them and how local governments and other entities can assist them.
Illinois
United-states
Americans
American
Michael-jordan
Joshua-gunn
Lebron-james
Larry-ivory
Larry-bird
City-council
Illinois-black-chamber
Illinois-state-black-chamber