Memphis Area Black Businesses Execute A Faith-Based Initiative That Doesn't Go Through DC

Giving credit where credit is due.

Church-Based Initiative Planned For Minority Businesses

The church as always been the convention center within the Black community. Since the church has a vested interest in securing the health of the community around it I believe that it should play a part as coordinator of information and education about economics in the community.

The Black Business Association of Memphis is launching “Propel,” a church-based initiative to teach people with entrepreneurial dreams how to turn them into realities.

Experts will provide workshops on topics such as customer service, business planning, marketing, accounting and preparing bid packages.

“There have been a whole lot of initiatives from the top down that don’t accomplish what people hoped they would accomplish, but this is from the ground up,” said Roby S. Williams, president of the Black Business Association.

The formal announcement of “Propel: The Proactive Program for Economic Progress and Prosperity” was made this morning. The BBA is working in conjunction with the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, the Memphis Chapter of the National Black MBA Association and the Think Tank for African American Progress in setting up the program.

“I believe in collective intelligence,” Williams said. “Last October, I had the opportunity to facilitate a session with the Think Tank for American Progress. That’s the Black Ph.D. group. We began talking about this. It evolved into this actual idea, and we began going to visit with the Baptist Ministerial Association and talked with them about it. We had to develop the infrastructure to make it work.”