Blacklanta directory promotes Atlanta Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurship

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Before you plan your next night out, test out a new workout class, or choose a tutor for your child, the woman behind “Blacklanta” encourages you to utilize her online directory for Black-owned businesses.

Raven Strode, Blacklanta CEO, said she realized a need for a centralized directory for Atlanta Black businesses in 2019.

“Being in Atlanta there are so many Black-owned businesses and it’s a hub for everything Black,” said Strode.

Hundreds of businesses are organized into various categories on the site, including food and drink, home improvement, beauty, health, education, travel, and more.

Georgia boasts one of the highest rates of Black-owned businesses in the country, with Atlanta becoming a mecca for these opportunities. However, just 7.4 percent of metro Atlanta businesses are Black-owned.

Despite the disparity in minority entrepreneurship, Strode said she has seen tremendous growth amongst Black businesses since launching Blacklanta.

“It’s a very exciting time for Black business owners,” she said. “There are so many resources, so many people who want to help. And the help is out there, you have to look for it and create your own opportunities as well.”

According to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Black-owned businesses in the U.S. increased 14 percent from 2017 to 2020.

That growth creates a ripple effect for Black entrepreneurship.

“The most important thing is representation,” said Strode. “You gain so much inspiration from those people to look at them and say, ‘Hey, this is something I could do – start my own business as well.’”

Analysis by Pew Research reports Black adults make up 12.4 percent of the U.S. population. However, just 3 percent of businesses are Black or African-American owned.

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