The Take

Can Black businesswomen save the US economy?

As Black History Month kicks off in the US, The Take is turning its attention on Black female entrepreneurs.

In this May 21, 2020, image, Stephanie Byrd, co-owner of The Block, poses for a photo with chairs on the tables while the restaurant is closed due to the coronavirus in Detroit. She’s worried other Black-owned businesses will struggle to withstand another wave of economic uncertainty during the pandemic, following decades of inequity that made it hard for many to flourish in the first place. [Paul Sancya/AP Photo]

Black women face some of the highest hurdles when trying to start their businesses, and when the COVID-19 pandemic derailed thousands of firms around the United States, they received some of the least support from the government. Today, we are talking about why that was the case, and what some women are doing to change the system.

In this episode:

Anna Gifty Opoku Agyeman, economist and co-founder of the Sadie Collective; Nikki Porcher, founder of the nonprofit Buy From A Black Woman; Shanae Jones, founder of Ivy’s Tea

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The team:

Priyanka Tilve produced this episode with Patricia Sabga, Dina Kesbeh, Negin Owliaei, Alexandra Locke, Ney Alvarez, Amy Walters and Malika Bilal.

Alex Roldan was the sound designer. Natalia Aldana is the engagement producer. Stacey Samuel is The Take’s executive producer.

Source: Al Jazeera