August is National Black Business Month, and an emerging program in the Milwaukee area is seen as a game-changer in elevating minority-owned businesses trying to get off the ground. This year, several partners launched MKE BOSS - which stands for Build, Operate, Scale and Sustain. The digital platform links entrepreneurs of color with a range of resources, including lending and technical assistance.

Pam Bell, city executive with Self-Help Federal Credit Union, said for a lot of Black and brown business owners, it can be hard for them to navigate the financial services sector.

"Whatever that business is, whether it's food service and you're skilled in that trade, 'But how do I scale this?' - breaking down how much it costs to create a product and, 'How much do I need to put back into my business so that it's profitable?' and all of that," she explained.

The program's partners, including Self-Help, want to help these business owners shape their vision and establish more generational wealth in underserved areas. While this initiative is Milwaukee-centric, organizers hope to create a standard that serves as an inspiration for towns and cities elsewhere. Various rankings describe Wisconsin as one of the worst states for racial disparities.

Wendy Baumann, president of Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation, another partner, said beyond their assistance, government agencies can step it up by turning to minority-owned business for service contracts.

"County, state, local governments, and all the things that they purchase. Money talks, [and these agencies need to do] direct purchasing from these businesses," she said.

According to the Small Business Administration, 99% of U.S. companies are small businesses - defined as those with 500 employees or fewer. Baumann said that's an important statistic to remember when looking at ways to create a more level playing field within the nation's economy. The BOSS program is funded by a grant from J.P. Morgan Chase.

Toledo's historic Dorr Street Corridor was once the beating heart of Black culture, wealth and business in the city. Now, community leaders and local politicians are striving to restore its former vibrancy.

Decades of urban renewal projects, including the construction of the interstate, eroded much of what was once known as "Black Wall Street."

Anita Lopez, a Lucas County Commissioner, emphasized the importance of economic development in revitalizing this historic area.

"When we have construction, we have businesses opening, that means jobs, jobs, jobs," Lopez pointed out. "And that's one of my promises, to help infuse employment opportunities and create opportunities for individuals to earn more money, and make money while doing construction."

Lopez's vision aligns with ongoing redevelopment efforts for the Dorr Street Corridor, with plans for new businesses and housing. However, some community members remain skeptical, questioning whether the project will truly benefit the local population or lead to gentrification.

Groups like the African American Legacy Project of Northwest Ohio are hopeful the area can return to its historic roots.

Charlesena Smith, a longtime Toledo resident and volunteer with the African American Legacy Project, is working to ensure redevelopment focuses on restoring Black ownership and creating a safe, inclusive environment for residents and visitors alike. Smith recalls the corridor's former glory and said she is hopeful for its future.

"I would like to see this place go back to what it used to be," Smith stressed. "Owning our own business, bringing the people that's coming through here (who) can stop by and feel safe. That's exactly what I think should happen."

The efforts are seen as steps toward reclaiming a part of Toledo's history while providing modern-day economic opportunities. As community members and political leaders push forward, Toledo's Black Wall Street could once again be a cornerstone of local wealth and culture.


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Supporters of a new wage equity law in Massachusetts say it will help close the state's gender and racial wage gap. Starting next year, companies with more than 25 employees must disclose a salary range for all posted positions.

Kimberly Borman, executive director of the Boston Women's Workforce Council, said wage transparency not only benefits women and people of color, who are often paid less than their coworkers, but their employers as well.

"If you never put out there what you can pay, you're going to get a lot of people who are kicking the tires and then you may like them and you get to a point you can't hire them because you just don't have the money," she said.

Borman said the new requirements build on a 2016 law that prohibits wage discrimination based on gender. Massachusetts is now the eleventh state to mandate pay transparency.

The new law also requires larger companies to share their federal wage and workforce data with the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to help identify where wage gaps remain. In Greater Boston, a 2023 report found the gender wage gap was 21 cents, and for Black women it was 54 cents. Borman says the new law will help Massachusetts remain competitive with other states and better able to recruit and retain top talent.

"So, we're losing good talent because they don't believe that they're going to be paid fairly or be promoted to the positions that they should be promoted to and earn the kind of money that they need to stay in this city," she continued.

Borman said a recent survey by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce found one in four residents ages 20 to 30 plans to leave the state in the next five years due to the lack of job availability and high housing costs.


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New Yorkers could see relief from medical debt if several national proposals move forward.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed a new rule to eliminate medical debt from credit reports. Studies show medical debt does not predict whether a person can pay down a debt.

An Urban Institute report finds more than 740,000 New Yorkers have medical debt.

Ursula Rozum, health care campaign lead for the group Citizen Action of New York, said the change can remove the punitive aspects of medical debt.

"What we're talking about is relief for the 15 million Americans that have medical debt," Rozum pointed out. "As well as people who we know are skipping care or delaying care 'cause they're scared of the debt and what impact it would have on their lives."

Vice President Kamala Harris is supporting the bureau's proposal while considering other ways to cancel medical debt. Congressional Republicans such as Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., oppose the proposed change. Several House GOP members signed a letter to the bureau saying its proposed rule can negatively affect credit access and affordability for all consumers.

New York passed legislation prohibiting medical debt from being reported to credit agencies but it has not stopped medical debt disparities.

Christine Chen Zinner, senior policy counsel for the advocacy group Americans for Financial Reform, said communities of color often have the highest medical debt rates for many reasons.

"Black and Latine families are more likely to have jobs without access to health insurance, and so that would drive up medical debt," Zinner explained. "There's also been disparate health treatments for these communities."

Other causes for medical debt include growing facility fees. While New York passed legislation to reform the fees, studies show they are a bulk of what patients pay for. Between 2004 and 2021, facility fees grew 531%, surpassing professional fees for certain emergency department services.