This week, I spoke with Marshawn Wolley and Tamara Cypress about equity matters in the Black community. Wolley is managing principal of Black Onyx Management and director of community engagement and strategic initiatives and a public affairs lecturer at the School of Public and Environment Affairs at IUPUI—and a contributing IBJ columnist.

On the heels of the “Black Lives Matter” movement, people have raised their hands, saying they stand in solidarity with the Black community. They want to be an ally. But now what?

For Rashawn Ray, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Governance Studies at The Brookings Institution who has been doing research and training related to implicit bias for more than a decade, doing this kind of training, and doing it right, is more crucial than ever.

Ten companies and civic organizations have signed on to be the first cohort of businesses in Indianapolis pledging to join forces in eradicating systemic racism and disparities in the workplace, marketplace, workforce and community.

For too many of our Black businesses the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) was a hoax.  We heard that this was an issue. In fact, just like the impact of COVID-19, we should’ve known this was coming.  

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COVID-19 has hit Black and minority business owners especially hard. The Washington Post reported the number of Black-owned businesses plummeted more than 40-percent as the pandemic shut down much of the economy

In cities across America, people are demanding a change regarding racial equity. The issues facing us are stubborn and tough. They impact health, education and the economy. And they have been with us for a long time.  

"It's overdue for us to think about how we can invest in Black businesses and also help corporations," said Tamara Cypress, the campaign's creator. Cypress is partnering with Marshawn Wolley, principal of the diversity and inclusion management consultancy.