At a telephone town hall Tuesday afternoon, a group of D.C. leaders spoke on plans to aid businesses and workers during the COVID-19 public health crisis, and to help them rebuild afterward 鈥� with an emphasis on equity.
Ashley Emerson, the executive director of Mayor Muriel Bowser鈥檚 Office of African American Affairs, said, 鈥淲e have seen disparities in the African American community around health and education and economics.鈥�
Speaking of the planning process for the recovery from the health crisis, she said, 鈥淭here is no better time than now to discuss equity,鈥� adding that her office had spoken with the White House, the Congressional Black Caucus and other groups.
“Coronavirus does not discriminate; past policies have,鈥� said Andre Perry, a scholar-in-residence at American University, a member of the Reopen DC committee, a fellow at the Brookings Institute and author of 鈥淜now Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America鈥檚 Black Cities鈥�
African American businesses and neighborhoods are the first to suffer in a crisis and the last to recover, Perry said, pointing out that about 49% of black businesses survived the 2008 Great Recession, as opposed to 60% of white-owned businesses.
鈥淚f there is to be any truth to the idea that we are all in this together,鈥� Perry said, 鈥渃ities must step up now.鈥�
His suggestions for city governments included 鈥渁n express commitment to businesses owned by people of color鈥� in contracting, tax incentives on onramps to quality jobs and other examples. He cited New Orleans as a city that has done an impressive job with black- and brown-owned businesses.
Kristi Whitfield, director of the Department of Small and Local Business Development, added that the inequities reached into the business community, as well. 鈥淲e know that people have access-to-capital issues,鈥� Whitfield said. 鈥淲e know this is an issue. 鈥� We know, in the recovery, [it鈥檚] going to be essential.鈥�
Whitfield said longtime business owners were calling for help for the first time ever. She said it was more important than ever to do that. 鈥淣ow is the time to let your guard down and call and ask for help,鈥� Whitfield said, adding, 鈥淭he next phase of funding has to be different.鈥�
Federal response
Perry said Congress needed to provide for federal agencies that work with black-owned businesses. In the last iteration of the relief bill, he said, the Minority Business Development Agency only got $10 million out of a $2 billion project. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 inexcusable,鈥� he said.
Perry added that D.C.鈥檚 status, where it鈥檚 not counted as a state but as a territory in terms of coronavirus relief funding, is hurting the District. 鈥淲e鈥檙e bootstrapping as much as we can,鈥� Perry said. 鈥淎t some point, folks need to stand up.鈥�
He compared the current crisis to the Great Depression and the 2008 housing crisis and said the only real solution was a structural one. 鈥淲e are so focused on the crisis that we ignore the structural fix. 鈥� D.C. residents will not get what they want unless there is a demand. And that demand must address the structural inequalities at the federal level.鈥�
‘Make the call’
Whitfield added that banks 鈥渉ave been amenable鈥� to working out arrangements with small business owners who explain their problems. 鈥淭he banks are aware鈥� of the health crisis, she said. 鈥淐all up the bank and say the truth: ‘I don鈥檛 have it. I can鈥檛 pay.鈥欌��
Perry agreed: 鈥淢ake the call. Because if you don鈥檛, you could find yourself out of business permanently.鈥�
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