New boost for minority businesses in underserved communities

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Small minority-owned businesses have often struggled to gain access to capital and other tools to grow, a challenge made more daunting by the economic upheaval of the coronavirus pandemic. But a new effort announced Tuesday aims to address those disparities in pockets of the nation long gripped by poverty.

Hope Enterprise Corporation, which runs a Jackson, Mississippi-based credit union that specializes in lending and other financial services to underserved communities in the Deep South, is partnering with seven cities and nine historically Black colleges and universities to launch the “Deep South Economic Mobility Collaborative." Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative is providing up to $130 million to the endeavor, which will be available to clients in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee.

It’s estimated that well over 100,000 small U.S. businesses have failed since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with many in the underserved communities struck especially hard. Many struggling companies were unable to get loans, including newly formed businesses and those whose financial records didn’t meet bank requirements.

“We’ve seen businesses close in record numbers, particularly small businesses, mom and pop businesses, those owned by people of color,” said Bill Bynum, CEO of Hope Enterprise Corporation, speaking exclusively to The Associated Press ahead of the launch. “We think right now the resources that we have and the partnerships that we can bring to bear with cities and with anchor institutions like HBCUs is needed now more than ever.”

The collaborative would be something like a “one-stop shop for business support," said Bynum.

He said businesses could access capital provided by Goldman as well as online class offered through Goldman's 10,000 Small...