August marks the celebration of Black Business Month, a time to support local and national Black-owned businesses and honor the contributions of Black business owners to our communities and economy. Recently on August 4th, Comcast partnered with the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce to provide a family-friendly event to celebrate Black Business Month.
250 members of the community attended the Black Business Month Community Resource Fair at Liberation Park. The event provided resources and activities for the whole family and hosted local non-profits, agencies, Black-owned businesses, and local leaders.
Members of our Black Employees Network (BEN) Employee Resource Group attended the event to engage with attendees and distribute 100 fully stuffed backpacks for the community to kickoff the back-to-school season.
During a brief program, John William Templeton, Historian and Founder of the 20th Annual Journal of Black Innovation National Black Business Month, spoke about the history of Black Business Month, and why he has championed the effort for the past 20 years.
Ken Maxey, Director of Government Affairs for Comcast, participated in a panel discussion with Black-owned businesses led by NBC Bay Area newscast journalist, Velena Jones. Monee Brown, CEO of Knot Our Kidz, and Chef Leilani Baugh shared their experiences with entrepreneurship and the importance of uplifting the community during Black Business Month and all year round.
Photo credit: Graig Brooks/Jaguar Productions
