Amid the protests and unrest following the death of George Floyd, LaToya Jones found a way to bring black voices to the public in a new way.
Jones, of Morgantown, aspiring entrepreneur and developer of an eco-friendly body care product line, said black professionals are willing to participate in and serve the community, they just don’t have the same advantages as non-black counterparts, and too often remain unidentified as a group.
Today, Jones and local black business owners will launch Black Business NOW, a digital magazine featuring black entrepreneurs across West Virginia. The launch date for the publication is June 19 to celebrate the 1865 date when Major General Gordon Granger announced the end of slavery and the civil war.
Earlier this month, Jones created a flyer for a Facebook post highlighting area black-owned businesses — she said suddenly it had 200 shares, and from the comments she realized there was a demand for an entire magazine.
“We are here to educate,” Jones said. “My goal is to have people know a little more about the black community.” She hopes representation in this magazine helps local businesses flourish and empowers members of the black community, and enlightens the non-black community.
“I think the stereotypes will be shattered, within both communities,” she said.
Jones said when COVID-19 hit West Virginia, she was shocked to see a lack of knowledge regarding the black population in the state.
“You should know we are here, you should know your black community members, your minority community members,” Jones said.
Institutionalized racism is within recent memory. Jones said her uncle remembers having to use a public bathroom marked for “colored only.”
Stereotypes created by racism persist. Jones noted people don’t know about the diversity in the black community; they don’t expect to see black professionals.
Jones said she thinks improvement in education, particularly in regard to national and local history of slavery and racism, and a more accurate knowledge of the black community, would directly lead to less racism.
The lack of knowledge extends into the state administration level, which does not track black-owned registered businesses. By not tracking this statistic, the state is missing out on federal funding opportunities, said John Gaddis, CEO/president of The GADDIS Group (GADDIS Consulting Group, LLC) and web developer for Black Business NOW. Gaddis has been trying to get a check box on the state business registration form to indicate if the owner is black for several years now.
Gaddis notes the importance of raising awareness of and support for local black business and professionals; “There are more than just barber shops,” Gaddis said.
Jones said the new magazine will be a general community resource, to educate people in and out of state about local businesses. “Education is our number one healer,” she said.
“We are here to provide products and services for our community,” Jones said.
“We are here, and we are here to help, and promote and grow,” Gaddis said.
The first issue of Black Business NOW will feature about 20 businesses in a resource list with info and links, and six or seven in-depth interviews.
Since Jones and her team of volunteers are located in the Morgantown area, finding black businesses mostly by word of mouth, the first issue will feature many businesses from the north-central part of the state. Future issues will expand to include businesses throughout the state.
“Readers should know this is a resource for everyone,” Jones said. “You don’t have to be a black business owner to utilize these resources. … We are always open to suggestions for what people would like to see within our magazine.”
Gaddis said he has already made new connections with other black business people by working on this magazine, and he thinks readers might be surprised to learn the stories of local businesses — both those they haven’t heard of, and those they may already use.
“A lot of us chose to come here to West Virginia, and a lot of us chose to stay here,” Gaddis said. He thinks the telling of their stories is long overdue.
Jones and her team have not yet determined the business structure of Black Business NOW, but said “right now we are accepting donations,” to cover costs and to hire employees, which she hopes to have for the October issue. Jones said businesses that donate $50 or more will be noted in one thank-you section of the website, and individuals in another.
This month and next, Jones plans to update www.blackbizznow.com with additional resources and feature previews.
“It’s just an opportunity to promote businesses here in the greater Morgantown area and across the state,” Gaddis said, adding “there are so many businesses you may have not heard about.” These businesses are here, and serving the community and the state economy.
“I think they [the public] should know this is a community thing, not just a black community thing,” Jones said.
By Aldona Bird
Tweet @DominionPostWV
