BECMA

New grants from the Massachusetts state government aim to lower barriers for underserved and underrepresented populations entering clean energy careers and businesses.

Following the 2015 Boston Federal Reserve report, “The Color of Wealth,” which identified major racial wealth gaps in Boston, several Black businesses owners in Massachusetts joined together to create the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts.

Mayor Michelle Wu announced the appointment of Segun Idowu, currently president and CEO of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, as Boston’s new Chief of Economic Opportunity & Inclusion.

With both the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the state Senate having passed their spending plans for federal American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds, advocates are left disappointed in the lack of investment into Black-owned and other minority-owned businesses in the wake of coronavirus economic fallout.

A coalition of minority business advocates filed a complaint against the city of Boston Monday, alleging that the city discriminates against Black and Latino-owned businesses in its $2.1 billion in annual contracting.