LEADERS IN EQUITABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MONTH
2024
BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, equitable economic development can help all North Carolina communities thrive by making sure resources for economic success are widely available and opportunities are accessible for all; and
WHEREAS, government-sponsored urban renewal purposefully dismantled Black economic centers in urban areas throughout the state; today, historic neighborhoods that were the epicenter of Black commerce, including Krankies Block and Depot Street of Winston-Salem, Second Ward of Charlotte, and Parrish Street of Durham, are rebuilding and thriving, growing equity and prosperity in communities; and
WHEREAS, the NC Department of Commerce, the State’s lead economic development agency, is promoting supply chain and vendor opportunities for small businesses, minority- and women-owned firms, and entrepreneurs, as recommended by the State’s First in Talent strategic economic development plan; and
WHEREAS, minority-owned small businesses play a critical role in the state’s economic development and sustainment; North Carolina’s small businesses, including Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs), have received support through the State’s HUB Office, the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, RETOOLNC, and Small Business Enterprise programs; and
WHEREAS, organizations with minority- and women-focused business and economic development programs, including Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development associations, and local, state, and federal government programs, work with communities of color to promote increased access to economic and workforce opportunities and provide necessary resources for commercial success throughout the state; and
WHEREAS, trailblazers like the late Andrea Harris, one of the youngest community agency directors in the nation, have uplifted North Carolina communities, helping to fight poverty and increase equitable economic development across rural North Carolina communities; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary for the State of North Carolina to continue gauging the needs of HUBs and to support them with new business creation, supplier diversity, and workforce development and training; and
WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina will continue to recognize and uplift community organizations and leaders focused on equitable economic development with consistent support and expansion through initiatives like Minority Enterprise Development Month; continued collaboration with The Institute, founded by the late Andrea Harris; and the establishment of the Andrea Harris Equity Task Force, charged with continuing the mission of the Task Force’s namesake;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim August, 2024, as “LEADERS IN EQUITABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.
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Roy Cooper
Governor
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this seventh day of August in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.