Newspaper Page Text
6A
MAY 25, 2000
Barnes criticizes state record toward small
and minority businesses, offers alternatives
By Eileen Rivers
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Reaching out to small and mi
nority owned businesses to make
them a more inclusive part of the
private sector must be accom
plished, not just because it’s the
right thing to do, according to
Governor Roy Barnes, but because
it’s good for the state’s economy.
But so far, Georgia has been an
equal opportunity employer in
name only, giving minority busi
nesses the least amount of time,
effort and attention, Barnes said
during a May 19 conference, at
Augusta Technical Institute.
“Seventy to 80 percent of alljobs
reated in this state are created
by businesses that have less than
35 employees,” he added. “Small
Jusiness conferences like these
wrean attempt toreach out tothat
yrowing sector of the community.”
During the last of a two day
seminar, Barnes announced anew
itate run mentor-protégé program
umed at pairing successful busi
-lesses with emerging businesses
wned by women and minorities.
The pilot program, which will
Greek organizations vow to work
together to improve Augusta community
By Eileen Rivers
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Black political leaders must
continue to strive toward
progress “refusing torelinquish
any ground,” and reiterate to
young African Americans that
education is the only equalizer,
Senator Charles Walker (D-
Augusta) said. The Senate
Majority Leader was address
ing an applauding audience of
Greek organizations duringthe
first annual Pan-Hellenic Con-
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last for a year, will put “more
teeth” in other state initiatives
and prove “that every business is
important, and deserves an op
portunity, no matter how small,”
the governor said.
Ifthe mentor-protégé initiative
is successful it will eventually be
come fully operational.
While the program is not meant
to teach newly formed businesses
thebasics, protégé companies will
be required to provide resources
and equipment to their counter
ference of the new millennium on
May 21, in the Paine College
Chapel.
The chapel was filled with mem
bers from eight local fraternitiesand
sororities—alumna and alumniwho
pledged allegiance to Greek organi
zations several years ago — who
pledged on Sunday to work together
for the betterment of the African-
American community.
“We must close the technology
gap between the black commu
nity and the rest of the nation,”
Walker continued. “We have chil
dren today who are willing to
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AUGUSTA FOCUS
Business
partsthat are significant, and fun
damental to that particular
business’s success.
According to Barnes, the first
few months of the program have
already had a dramatic effect in
improvingrevenue from small and
minority owned business in Geor
gia.
But despite“theblocks that have
been put in their way,” business
owners have managed to make
progress over the past several
years.
“More than 12 million minority
and women owned businesses op
erate in the United States, mak
ing them the fastest growing sec
tor in the economy,” Barnes said.
“And since 1997 small and minor
ity owned businesses have earned
s7oobillion.”
In addition, minority businesses
revenue statewide has grown by
343% over the past 10 years, the
governor added.
In addition to the governor’s
call for the state to do more for
small and minority business, Sena
tor Majority Leader, Charles
Walker (D-Augusta) challenged
small businesses to step up to the
plate, and do more for themselves.
spend money on Nike Air Jordan’s,
but don’t see the value in owning
a computer.”
For years individual fraterni
ties and sororities have been
spearheading outreach programs
throughout the community —
working with everything from
drug prevention, to after school
tutoring programs, to annual fund
raisers for the March of Dimes —
but now plan to meet every two
years, to work together on more
far reaching community assis
tance programs, leaders say.
“There is always the perception
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“A year from now I would like to
see greater profits for you, more
Georgians employed by you, and
more Georgia resources staying
in Georgia,” he said. 1
Howeverthese same businesses ‘
still haven’t been able to compete
in the global market, and don’t
know enough about the goods and
servicesthatare availablein Geor
gia, something the current ad
ministration hopes to change.
“These businesses have been
growing even in the face of adver
sity,” Barnes said. “But we can
still help them become stronger.”
Despite state initiatives, local
small and minority business own
ers are still running up against
stumbling blocks.
Richmond County’s efforts to
implement a minority business
loan program have yet to take off,
and small and minority businesses
are still not bidding on govern
ment contracts as often as their
majority counterparts.
Barnes called for all county gov
ernmentstousethestateasamodel,
and make efforts to “increase busi
ness opportunities, and strengthen
long-termrelationshipswiththesmall
business community.”
that the different Greek orga
nizations don’t get along,” Pan-
Hellenic Council president
Johnny Grant, said. “But we
are going to work successfully
together and prove that they
do.”
For the past several years,
the council has sponsored an
afterschool mentoring program
for students who attend the
Richmond County Alternative
School. They plan to work with
the elderly during this next
year.
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Aiken Technical College is an
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