NAACP partners with Cummins to support black-owned businesses

The NAACP has partnered with more organizations and companies since the nationwide Black Lives Matter protest, last year, to support black-owned businesses.

The NAACP Columbus/Bartholomew Branch president Johnnie Edward said the organization is passionate about narrowing the wealth gap in their community. He said partnering with organizations like Cummins “builds relationships and economic longevity for the Black community within Bartholomew County.”

The Columbus-based Cummins has committed $3 million to support black-owned businesses in Indianapolis and Memphis. The company will work together with Community Development Financial Institutions, nonprofits, and municipal partners to get the funds across to the recipients.

Cummins launched the Cummins Advocating for Racial Equity last year, according to the company. The goal of the initiative is to end systemic racial discrimination against the Black community in the U.S.

“Teamwork, Caring, Integrity, and Diversity & Inclusion are cornerstone values of Cummins and connecting with local organizations that share these values was important to ensure these funds are distributed properly,” Shon Wright, vice president of Cummins Turbo Technologies and Economic Empowerment CARE Workstream Leader. “Furthermore, the community partners we identified share our understanding that when we aid the Black community, we in fact support the larger community.”

The company’s partners include the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Colombus/Bartholomew Branch, Metropolitan Economic Development Association in Minneapolis, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation in partnership with the Indy Black Chamber of Commerce in Indianapolis, River City Capital Investment in Memphis, and the Colombus Area Chamber of Commerce.

According to NAACP, less than 5 percent of business owners in the US are Black. With the impacts of the coronavirus ravaging the economy, it has been more difficult for Black-owned businesses to thrive due to lack of access to capital and funds.

The NAACP has partnered with organizations such as BeyGOOD, Cummins, Diversity Capital, Hello Alice, and Vistaprint, and the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, among many others to support Black business owners that have been hit the hardest by the pandemic.

Vistaprint and the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation have pledged $1 million to support black businesses. It also announced the launch of the Power Forward Small Business Grant in partnership with the NAACP which aims to promote economic empowerment among Black-owned businesses across New England. Grants of $25,000 will be awarded to recipients. The recipients will also be featured on national co-branded platforms, as well as marketing and design resources to help their businesses become more successful.

The NAACP’s partnership with Beyonce’s BeyGOOD is focused on providing a lifeline for small businesses affected by the pandemic. The program will award $10,000 in grants on the 15th of each month.

Hello Alice, in partnership with NAACP is focused on providing black businesses with a growing resource of money networks and better opportunities in America.