North Dakota
Letter: Black-owned businesses are making history in North Dakota and across America
North Dakota small business owners are some of the strongest, most creative, and resilient people you will ever meet. In recent years, our small business community has weathered a global pandemic, persistent supply chain issues, sometimes volatile prices, and a tight labor market. Black-owned businesses in our state have faced disproportionate impacts from these pandemic challenges. Despite those headwinds, Black entrepreneurs across North Dakota are fueling one of the largest and most diverse waves of new business creation America has ever seen—what President Biden calls America’s Small Business Boom.
As we mark America’s 48th national celebration of Black History Month, the SBA is highlighting Black entrepreneur achievements here in North Dakota and throughout the nation. The past three years have been the three strongest years of new business formation in American history. The 16 million new business applications filed during this period show Americans starting businesses at nearly twice the rate—86% faster—compared to the pre-2021 average. During that time, U.S. small businesses have created more than 7.2 million net new jobs. And Black-owned businesses are responsible for some of the most significant gains.
This historic entrepreneurial boom didn’t come out of nowhere. President Biden’s Investing in America agenda reopened our nation’s economy, brought back Made in America manufacturing, and restored America’s global competitiveness. We’re rebuilding America’s roads, bridges, ports, and water systems while we build the clean energy economy of tomorrow. We’re also expanding high speed internet access nationwide including to many of North Dakota’s rural areas.
These investments are powering the Biden Small Business Boom, and unlike many economic recoveries of the past, this one includes entrepreneurs of color. One of the reasons for that is the SBA’s Community Navigator Pilot Program. This innovative hub-and-spoke partnership connected hundreds of community organizations around the country – like the U.S. Black Chambers of Commerce and the National Urban League – with entrepreneurs, helping them make the most of SBA resources so their small businesses can grow and thrive.
Under SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman’s leadership, the agency has also delivered record-breaking government contracting for small businesses—including the most federal contracting dollars going to minority-owned businesses in history. And we’re addressing longstanding gaps in access to capital for Black entrepreneurs, more than doubling our small business loans to Black-owned businesses since 2020.
These investments are making a big impact. Black business ownership is growing at the fastest pace in 30 years. The share of Black households owning a business doubled between 2019 and 2022. In 2023 alone, Census data showed Americans filed 5.5 million new business applications across the country, including nearly 9,000 here in North Dakota. That success is creating a rising tide. Black wealth is up a record 60% from before the pandemic, and Black unemployment has reached historic lows since 2021.
These positive impacts are not isolated—in fact, we’re seeing positive gains for small businesses across demographics, regions, economic sectors, and beyond.
While North Dakota’s Black-owned businesses continue to help power the Small Business Boom, our work is far from done. Despite record federal dollars reaching Black-owned businesses through government contracting, longstanding disparities persist. Recently, the president announced his new goal to increase the share of federal contracts with Small Disadvantaged Businesses to 15% by fiscal year 2025. This represents a massive increase over historical averages—and a 50% increase from when he first took office, and a huge step towards equity.
The SBA also understands that, even in good times, minority entrepreneurs and other historically underserved communities (including women, veterans, and rural) still face obstacles accessing capital. That’s why the SBA is committed to ensuring that anyone with a good idea can pursue that opportunity. We’re helping more Americans than ever access the funds they need to realize their dreams of small business ownership – and that means more jobs, more goods and services, and more resilient communities, no matter the zip code.
For more information on SBA’s programs and services please visit
www.sba.gov
.
Aikta Marcoulier serves as the SBA’s Region VIII Administrator in Denver. She oversees the agency’s programs and services in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
North Dakota
Letter: Israel has a right to exist
There was an anniversary on May 14, 1948, but The Forum missed it. It was the day that Jewish Agency chair David Ben-Gurion proclaimed in Tel Aviv the establishment of the state of Israel. It was celebrated then by the Jewish people and within a matter of hours, the United States gave it official recognition as a nation state.
Now how is it that The Forum missed this anniversary?
On the op-ed page was a letter from
Allison Slavik saying that Gaza is not going away
. That might be true, but how about a mention of releasing the hostages held in tunnels by Hamas? Most people could accept a truce if at least a few of the living Jewish people could again see daylight along with the bodies of the dead under Hamas control.
How did the Jewish mothers of those hostages feel on May 12th?
Also,
Trampas Johnson has his viewpoint
expressed about the Palestinian-Israel conflict. How sad that Hamas butchery and savagery has engulfed the innocent lives of the Palestinian families.
Since Secretary of State Blinken and National Security spokesman John Kirby are each on record asking for Hamas to accept a temporary cease-fire and release 30 hostages, I believe that could create more support for Allison’s and Trampas’s debate points. But here we are, no fireworks for a celebration in Israel on its own Independence Day. Instead, there is daily fireworks in Hamas and Israel war.
If Gaza has a right to exist, so does Israel. The entire world knows that Israel is a Jewish nation. Now the readers of The Forum might read the other side of story and pray for the release of the hostages.
Crystal Dueker lives in Fargo.
North Dakota
North Dakota Fossil Site Reveals When Asteroid Killed Dinosaurs
North Dakota
North Dakota Polynesian Club celebrates culture at PAC Fest
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – A fairly new group, the North Dakota Polynesian Cultural Club, hosted its first Pacific Island, Asian, Arts and Culture Festival, or PAC Fest for short.
The North Dakota Polynesian Club invited the public to come eat cultural food, watch performances of cultural dances and listen to special speakers at Lord of Life Lutheran Church.
Event organizer, DJ Lamyuen, says he hopes to bring attention to his community.
“The goal and the mission is to bring awareness to our Pacific Islander and Asian heritage,” said Lamyuen.
The performances featured included the Bismarck YMCA belly dancers and traditional Indian dances, celebrating the different ways of life that make the Pacific Islands and Asia diverse. But, the group welcomed everyone from any background to join the celebration.
“That’s all that matters, that we can enjoy each other and different cultures by food, by music, by dance, and that’s all that matters in today’s society,” said Moses Timaly, member of the North Dakota Polynesian Club.
The hope is that this event, and the club, can create a sentiment of unity between the people of Bismarck-Mandan, regardless of where they’re from.
“Not a lot of people out here have resources or friend groups, so this is like an opportunity to kind of get together and know your neighbors and know the community,” said Lamyuen.
A “Best Dressed” Award was also given to whoever wore their cultural regalia or traditional clothing the best.
The group also enjoys working with a variety of nonprofit organizations, such as Bismarck Global Neighbors.
Copyright 2024 KFYR. All rights reserved.
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