By Aaron Allen
The Seattle Medium
In an effort to strengthen and support the economic vitality of Black-owned businesses, The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS) and the Seattle Medium Newspaper have renewed their efforts to increase foot traffic and cash flow for local businesses through their 25 Alive Campaign.
The initial campaign, which launched during the early stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic, provided little or no-cost advertising to over 50 businesses in the Seattle area during a time when many businesses were forced to temporarily close their doors due to government mandates, and those that were able to remain open because they were considered an essential business were having trouble accessing resources to maintain their businesses.
According to Michelle Merriweather, President/CEO of the Urban League, the goal of the campaign was to drive community support to Black-owned businesses by encouraging people to spend $25 a week with at least one Black-owned business. The effort was not just a lifeline for local businesses but was meant to get people to change their spending habits in order to spur long-term growth in the local, small business community.
“It began when Chris Bennett, [Publisher/CEO and Editor of the Seattle Medium Newspaper], and I were talking about how we can support Black-owned businesses and elevate their presence during COVID,” says Merriweather. “While many of them did not have access to PPP loans and street traffic of course was minimal, many of our Black-owned businesses did not have even online traffic to promote their businesses. This was our way to help encourage folks and the community to support Black-owned businesses by committing to and spending $25 a week to help keep a Black-owned business alive.”
“Black owned businesses are typically and traditionally smaller,” says Merriweather. “Traditionally, they are family led and run, and often employ the whole family, a generational kind of work and we want to make sure that they are able to stay in business through the pandemic because the pandemic is certainly not over for some of us.”
Because of the efforts of this collaboration and the leadership role of ULMS, many businesses saw an increase in sales and patronage that renewed their spirits during an uncertain time. Many of the businesses might not have survived, and the energy and spirit of the campaign gave businesses the impetus to continue to thrive and serve their communities.
“None of this would have been possible without the partnership, compassion and leadership of Michelle Merriweather and the Urban League,” said Bennett. “I don’t know how many businesses are still around today because of the campaign, but what I can tell you is that the campaign had an economic impact beyond the 50 businesses that we promoted during the campaign.”
“The campaign was supposed to last eight weeks, and we carried it for six months,” added Bennett. “We may have been the conduits, but the real heroes and sheroes are those in the community who embraced the campaign and supported these businesses during a time when they needed it the most, and we hope that more people will be encouraged to do the same during our 25 Alive Campaign 2.0.”
According to Bennett, many Black-owned businesses received a financial boost during the George Floyd/Black Lives Matter movement of 2020. However, now that the concentrated efforts to support Black communities across the country has faded, many of these businesses are at a critical fork in the road that can see them either prosper or disappear.
“Many of our business owners have been very resourceful, but you can only stretch a dollar so far,” says Bennett. “Every additional dollar in revenue, especially in today’s environment, helps these businesses do a little more, stay on top of their finances and inventory, and hopefully puts them in a position to provide opportunities for other people from our community in the near future.”
Although there have been strides in the efforts by local health and political officials in battling COVID and vaccinations have eased the tensions the country experienced in the beginning of the virus outbreak, statics show Black businesses continue to struggle under the strain and hangover of the pandemic.
Among entrepreneurial groups across the country, African American business owners have struggled the most. In fact, more than 440,000 of Black business owners lost their businesses within months after government mandated business shutdowns.
When it comes to profitability for Black businesses, a recent survey on the impact of COVID-19 on small, African-American-owned businesses found that only 8.8% of the businesses surveyed were profitable and growing, while 56.3% were not profitable at all. Many Black businesses in Seattle find themselves in the same situation.
With this data in mind, ULMS and The Seattle Medium not only wanted to support business, but also create a renewed engagement, a habit, and a commitment of support for local businesses that will continue into the future.
“Not only during the period of time when COVID began were we able to do the campaign but also in the aftermath we wanted to continue our efforts to promote and elevate Black business and create the habit,” says Merriweather. “The more you do things the more they become a habit.”
Local business owners like Keith Williams, owner of Flyright Productions — a photographic and videography business in Seattle, and Richard Brown, owner of The Brown Family’s Original BBQ Sauce, say that the support from the Seattle Medium Newspaper and ULMS is invaluable.
“I can tell you this, I think it is very important that we continue to support our Black-owned businesses,” says Brown. “Even if it is just stopping by and saying hello at a vendors market, even if it is a share on Facebook or Twitter, Instagram you’re still giving up your time and effort to support all Black owned business.”
Williams agrees and says they he is greatly appreciative of the job the Seattle Medium and ULMS have done for the businesses and the community.
“It has been a tremendous blessing,” says Williams of the 25 Alive Campaign. “To have this sort of input and impact that helps us reach our community, I just can’t say enough about how important it is for us to advertise and get our message out to the general public.”
“I appreciate the Seattle Medium and the Urban League for all that they do to ensure Black businesses have an opportunity and a platform to market our business,” Williams continued. “I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for us to spend dollars in our communities. It is the only way to survive in this economy — by spending our money with each other. So I applaud the efforts being made and encourage all community members, all businesses to support programs such as the 25 Alive Campaign.”
The 25 Alive Campaign continues its role in revitalizing the Black community’s economic health. Both the ULMS and The Seattle Medium look to continue this effort into the future.
“Our hope for the future is that we are able to continue to highlight new businesses, growing businesses, micro-businesses to ensure that they are seen, heard and supported,” says Merriweather. “Hopefully it catches that communities make a conscious effort to put at least $25.00 into a Black-owned business, at least once a week, but we also want to make sure they are receiving what they need to be successful.”
“I think our businesses are phenomenal and deserve to be elevated and supported and uplifted by all of us, and have access to capital, to be promoted and be in spaces where they have equal access to foot traffic and business traffic,” she continued. “I think what COVID did do, it put this on front street that our community suffered more when the nation was infected, we were dying, our businesses were dying and COVID put a spotlight on the inequities African Americans have historically endured.”
Bennett agrees and says that the campaign is not about trying to help local businesses stay afloat for a few more months or a few more years, but it is an effort to shift the mentality of consumers to consistently invest in local businesses, local families and in our local community.
“We, the Black community, are consumers and a driving force for both the local and national economy,” says Bennett. “It’s time for us lay the foundation for the economic success of our community. We don’t have to wonder where we’d be as a community if it were not for the demise of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, we can build our own Black Wall Street, Black Jackson Street, Black Rainier [Avenue], and Black Seattle right here and right now with the financial resources that we already have in a community — $25 at a time.”
Click here to view a partial list of local Black businesses that are participating in the campaign.
