The ongoing Black Lives Matter movement is focused on systemic racism, systems that fail the equality test like has happened to some black-owned businesses in Rhode Island.
While 5.6 percent of Rhode Island’s population is Black, business ownership among the community is only 3.7 percent in the Ocean State.
Lisa Ranglin founded and is president of the Rhode Island Black Business Association.
She explains that “what’s happened with these businesses, while they’re unable to scale, is a lack of resources. So it could be the lack of access to capital, lack of access to resources for them to grow.”
Jerry Tolbert’s been in Rhode Island for 17 years now, originally from Liberia, a hairstylist by trade.
If getting his Masters isn’t enough on his plate, after an extensive renovation, he opened Afrique D Lounge this February, on Dean Street in Providence.
“With me, I believe in hard work,” says Tolbert. “And I also believe it pays off when you work hard. There’s so much restrictions, so much restrictions just to get this place started, it took me almost a year.”
Like many other Black-owned businesses in Rhode Island, some of which received no payroll protection with the pandemic, he only received half of what he applied for.
“I don’t know how they did the math, or whatever it is, but I never got any explanation as to why,” said Tolbert.\
Because Black-owned businesses have been treated differently through the years than other businesses, the problem continues for generations.
“I head up the Rhode Island Black Business Association and I can’t seem to get a meeting with the Governor,” adds Ranglin.
She says she’s been trying for more than a year.
The Rhode Island General Assembly over the past 25 years has passed initiatives in an effort to bring equality to minority businesses.
Ranglin says, though, that they’re undercapitalized, lack organizational structure and accountability, and that’s the problem with the system.
“The bottom line is: we need greater investment in the development of black businesses here in Rhode Island, from elected officials to people in power, people with money. We need greater investment.”
