On Tuesday, Pennsylvania unveiled a new business grant and assistance initiative aimed at supporting enterprises in “historically disadvantaged communities,” defined by factors such as race, economic status, and cultural background.
The program, however, has sparked debate, with critics raising concerns about potential discrimination similar to legal challenges faced by other programs of its kind.
The initiative, managed by Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), is part of Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2024-2025 budget.
Pennsylvania launches a government assistance program that prefers to only help race based or “historically disadvantaged businesses.”pic.twitter.com/rGpml2UtwX
— Resist Times (@resistupdates) December 18, 2024
It aims to provide resources to small businesses that have faced barriers to economic opportunity. These include minority-owned businesses through the Historically Disadvantaged Business Assistance Program.
The program includes funding to establish and support business assistance service centers and microgrant programs. These funds are intended to help historically disadvantaged businesses cover costs associated with starting or expanding their operations.
Barãta Bay, president of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania, expressed optimism about the program’s potential impact.
He described it as having a positive “ripple effect” across the state, particularly in fostering growth and sustainability