Black-owned businesses are getting some love during the World Games

The World Games 2022 Birmingham are coming soon and black-owned businesses will be getting some love during that time. Mayor Randall L. Woodfin, along with representatives from Mastercard and the Birmingham Business Resource Center (BBRC) just announced an exciting new campaign that will be sure to be a huge asset to local businesses. Read on to learn all about it.

The Campaign

From July 7-17, Mastercard will offer cardholders 20% cash back each time they use their Mastercard to spend $20 or more at participating businesses in Birmingham. Roughly 30 businesses will be participating, including Jolly Cakes and Eugene’s Hot Chicken. A full list of participating businesses can be found on Mastercard.com/Birmingham.

Working to close the racial wealth and opportunity gap

Birmingham is one of the seven cities chosen to participate as part of Mastercard’s ‘In Solidarity’ commitment to invest $500M in Black communities over the next five years. The hope behind this initiative is to:

• expand city programs to support black communities
• grant access to affordable financial tools and resources
• supply capital and resources to black-owned businesses

Birmingham’s role in this initiative

While Birmingham’s population is 70% Black, only 3% of businesses in the city are black-owned. The hope is that Mastercard’s ‘In Solidarity’ efforts during the World Games will not only encourage these existing local businesses to grow, but will also encourage more people to start their own businesses. In addition to announcing Birmingham’s inclusion in the ‘In-Solidarity’ initiative, Mastercard and the BBRC have also organized the Civil Rights District Marketplace to showcase local Black-owned businesses, entertainers and artisans during the World Games. At this rate, the World Games should prove to be a boon for many Black business owners and the city of Birmingham as a whole.

What’s your favorite Black-owned business in Bham? Give us a blast @BhamNow!