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RESOLUTION DECLARING AUGUST 2022, AND THE MONTH OF AUGUST EACH YEAR THEREAFTER, AS �BLACK BUSINESS MONTH�; DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO COLLABORATE WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND COUNTY BOARDS INCLUDING THE GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU, THE MIAMI-DADE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY BOARD, AND THE MIAMI-DADE ECONOMIC ADVOCACY TRUST, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE COUNTY�S SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIVISION, TO DEVELOP AN ADVERTISING AND MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE AND STIMULATE BLACK BUSINESSES IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY; DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO IDENTIFY FUNDING IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022 BUDGET AND FUTURE BUDGETS TO UNDERTAKE THE ACTIONS SET FORTH IN THIS RESOLUTION; AND DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO PROVIDE A REPORT

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WHEREAS, National Black Business Month was created in 2004 by historian John William Templeton and engineer Frederick E. Jordan Sr. to bring attention to the needs of more than two million Black-owned businesses operating across America; and
WHEREAS, Black Business Month is celebrated annually during the month of August, as a time when individuals and businesses recognize Black-owned businesses across the country; and
WHEREAS, during Black Business Month, local government officials, community leaders, and venture capitalists are encouraged to focus efforts on supporting Black-owned businesses and creating a more hospitable environment in which Black-owned businesses can grow; and
WHEREAS, Black businesses are essential to the people and communities they serve and operate in; and
WHEREAS, the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) is the official, accredited destination sales and marketing organization for Greater Miami and Miami Beach; and
WHEREAS, the GMCVB�s mission is to generate travel demand to Greater Miami and the Beaches to maximize economic impact to our community, ensure industry resiliency, and elevate the resident quality of life; and
WHEREAS, since 1974, the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce (M-DCC) has prioritized long-term business growth & prosperity by providing advocacy, networking, resources, and training to men and women doing business in South Florida; and
WHEREAS, the M-DCC�s stated mission is to create opportunities for economic and social transformation in our community; and
WHEREAS, the M-DCC�s stated vision is a future where the diaspora of Black businesses thrive; and
WHEREAS, created in 1994, as part of the Office of Community Advocacy, the Black Affairs Advisory Board (BAAB) falls under the Office of the Chair of this Board and was created to serve in an advisory capacity to this Board on issues affecting and relevant to citizens who emanate from the African Diaspora; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County has numerous Black owned businesses and the BAAB has been tasked to bring recognition resulting in increased traffic and revenue as part of its economic development strategy; and
WHEREAS, this year, the BAAB produced the 2020-2022 Black World Guide which is attached hereto as Attachment A and made a part hereof; and
WHEREAS, the Guide represents the culmination of many hours of research aimed at uncovering the many African Diaspora organizations that exist in the County; and
WHEREAS, the publication represents a concerted effort to present a landing page for the many businesses, civic, social and professional organizations represented in the publication, that constitute the Black Diaspora in the County; and
WHEREAS, one purpose of the publication is to encourage residents and visitors to support and recognize the resiliency of those who live, work, or do business in the County; and
WHEREAS, the BAAB continues to advocate for the social, economic, and political educations of the Black Community; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust�s (MDEAT) mission is to ensure the equitable participation of Black people in the County�s economic growth through advocacy and monitoring of economic conditions and economic development initiatives in the County; and
WHEREAS, since inception, MDEAT�s focus has been on addressing socioeconomic disparities within the Black community; and
WHEREAS, MDEAT does so by focusing on the individual, building neighborhoods through the expansion of homeownership, and supporting the foundation of strong Black businesses and economic development via job creation, entrepreneurship, business retention, and expansion; and
WHEREAS, these three components - family, neighborhood, and business - work together to connect the Black community to resources, funding, and programming that together create whole communities; and

WHEREAS, as highlighted in the first issue of MDEAT�s inaugural annual magazine, bearing the theme �the Urgency of Now�, according to the United States Census� 2017 Annual Business Survey, out of 74,627 employing companies in Miami-Dade County, only about 2.5 percent (or 1,902) were Black-owned; and
WHEREAS, the Small Business Development (SBD) division is a division of the Miami-Dade County Internal Services Department, and is responsible for the administration of the County�s Small Business Enterprise, Wage and Workforce Programs; and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the County for County Administration to collaborate with community-based organizations and County boards including the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce, the Black Affairs Advisory Board, and the Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust, with the assistance of the County�s Small Business Development Division, to develop an advertising and marketing campaign to promote and stimulate black businesses in Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, support for Black Business Month can come in the form of making a purchase, referring others, and engaging on social websites and other platforms; and
WHEREAS, supporting Black-owned businesses throughout the year can help stabilize a community and create more opportunities for meaningful savings, property ownership, credit building, and generational wealth,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Declares August 2022, and the month of August each year thereafter, as Black Business Month.
Section 2. Directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to collaborate with community-based organizations and County boards including the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce, the Black Affairs Advisory Board, and the Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust, with the assistance of the County�s Small Business Development Division, to develop an advertising and marketing campaign to promote and stimulate black businesses in Miami-Dade County, which at a minimum shall include: (a) advertising August as Black Business Month in public spaces throughout Miami-Dade County, such as in all Miami-Dade County buildings and transit stations, as well as on Miami-Dade County buses, trains and metromover vehicles, and on all Miami-Dade County media platforms, including social media; and (b) marketing that encourages the patronage of Black-owned businesses located in Miami-Dade County.
Section 3. Directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to identify funding in the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget and future budgets to undertake the actions set forth in this Resolution.
Section 4. Directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to provide a report to this Board within 30 days of the effective date of this resolution and place the completed report on an agenda of the full Board without committee review pursuant to Ordinance No. 14-65. Such report shall include, at a minimum, regarding the directives referenced in sections 2 and 3 above: (a) the required costs; (b) the available funding source(s); and (c) if sufficient funds are not legally available, identification of the sources reviewed for available funds, and identification of the specific dollar shortfall that precludes compliance with the directives(s).