Hogsett outlines first-year vision as third-term Indy mayor
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett is kicking off his third four-year term as the city’s leader with a new vision coming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Tuesday, he announced a push to get more opportunities for minority business owners.
For business owner Cynthia Bates, getting funding to keep business going is a struggle. “There’s always a challenge because there’s never enough money because there’s always something that you have to repair. You know this building was built in 1940.”
In 2011, Bates opened The Jewel Event Center, which is run by women of color. She says inequality has made it harder for Black entrepreneurs to thrive.
“There’s always a furnace going out or air conditioning going out and we had a storm last year that blew out half the roof,” Bates said. “Businesses flourish with networking and so if you’re Black sometimes you are not in the network where there are resources.”
On Tuesday, Mayor Joe Hogsett announced at the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Indianapolis breakfast his plans to address the issue as part of his vision for this year.
“I can sum it up with one word that word is prosperity. Prosperity for all of Indianapolis,” Hogsett said.
According to the nonprofit public policy organization, Brookings Institution, the Indianapolis metropolitan area has more than 900 Black businesses, making up around 3% of all employer businesses.
The Indy Chamber says in 2017, Marion County saw 546 Black-owned employer businesses.
Hogsett says it’s going to take the whole community to bring change.
“Part of making the most of that effort is having more minority-owned businesses register with the city. You can help us concentrate on that part of this equitable prosperity,” Hogsett said.
Despite some challenges, Bates says there have been improvements.
She says organizations like the Indy Black Chamber of Commerce and her Delta Sigma Theta sisters play a big role.
“I’m in several organizations. As I said if I didn’t belong to some of these organizations I don’t know what I would do. I don’t know what the other Black businesses that don’t have those networks do. I don’t know how they stay afloat,” Bates said.