Advocacy for Minority Business Development

WHEREAS, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) was created in 1969 through Executive Order as a component of the U.S. Department of Commerce. MBDA is the only federal agency created specifically to foster the establishment and growth of African-American-owned businesses in America for disadvantaged groups who own or wish to start, expand their own businesses; and

WHEREAS, MBDA's mission and advocacy is to identify issues of importance to the African American business community and to organize and lead the discussion of these issues among government and the African American business community at-large; and

WHEREAS, the Minority Business Development Agency funds business development centers around the country to assist with the start-up, expansion and development of African-American-owned firms; and

WHEREAS, the MBDA's Business Development Centers provide expert one-on-one assistance in multi-faceted areas of business, including administration, business planning, marketing, accounting, bidding and financing for a nominal business consultant fee to take business to the next level; and

WHEREAS, the MBDA provides on-line tools to access information on the website at www.mbda.gov to do business-to-business on the Internet, business-to-government and consumer sales to electronically identify, match and deliver financial and contracting opportunities to African American owned firms with an on-line free service to register your company with the nationwide contract opportunities.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP recommend and encourage all units to utilize the business development centers in their region to assist in the unit's economic empowerment advocacy; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP expand their advocacy in their communities to share the resource of the Minority Business Development Center; a tool created by a Congressional Executive Order of the U.S. Department of Commerce in 1969 to further resolve disadvantaged groups who own or wish to start or expand their own business through advocacy for African American business development.