Wednesday Open Line


Black History Month highlights not only past achievements but continued progress in the African-American community. There are just under 2 million black-owned businesses, representing a gain of more than 60 percent in just five recent years. These businesses employed more than 920,000 people — a growth of more than one-fifth in the same period. Retail trade, health care and social assistance sectors account for 27 percent of black-owned business revenue, which totals more than $137 billion. Among cities, New York has the most black-owned businesses, at just over 8 percent of the U.S. total, followed by Chicago, Houston and Detroit. You can find more statistics on communities across the country by downloading the Census Bureau’s “dwellr” mobile app at <www.census.gov/mobile>.