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GeorgiaBest Weekly
PRSRTSTD
U,S. POSTAGE
PAID
Savannah, GA
Permit No. 923
December 27,2023 - January 02,2024
Vol. 53 No. 52
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IHlJ? MLK Jr. Blvd. Saw, G A 31415
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Monday, January 01, 2024
READOUT: In Atlanta, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo Discusses
Investments to Expand Access to Capital in Underserved Communities
L-R: Wendy Brown, Joel Dixon, Kechia Matadin, Robert James, II, Wally Adeyemo, Robert E. James, Tayani Odeleye, Richard Dunn, and
Jay Jackson
n December
12 th, Deputy
Secretary of the Treasury Wal
ly Adeyemo joined a meeting
hosted by Carver State Bank,
a Black-owned bank and cer
tified community development
financial institution (CDFI)
and minority depository insti
tution (MDI), to discuss the
impact of the Treasury Depart
ment’s investments in expand
ing access to capital in under
served communities.
The Treasury De
partment has invested more
than S8.5 billion in 175 fed
erally insured depository in
stitutions that are CDFIs or
MDIs through the Emergency
Capital Investment Program
(ECIP). Of this amount, SI.4
billion was invested in Black-
owned and Black-majority
shareholder depository insti
tutions, including S15.85 mil
lion in Carver State Bank’s
parent company. Investments
across the ECIP portfolio are
predicted to increase lending
in Black communities (https://
bit.ly/3Tv9aHh) by nearly $80
billion over the next decade.
Additionally, the Treasury
Department’s Community De
velopment Financial Institu
tions Fund (CDFI Fund) has
enhanced its efforts to make
credit available and create
wealth-building opportunities
in underserved communities.
In April 2023, the CDFI Fund
announced SI.73 billion in
grants through the Equitable
Recovery Program, which in
cluded many awards to CDFIs
that have strong track records
of lending in majority-minority
census tracts.
On December 7th, the
Treasury Department released
(https://bit.ly/3RPclbx) a re
vised certification application
for CDFIs to further promote
responsible lending to finan
cially underserved communi
ties - the first substantial up
date to the application since the
CDFI Fund’s founding more
than 25 years ago. The revised
application reflects the evolu
tion of the community finance
field and helps ensure capital
reaches underserved commu
nities served by CDFIs. It was
published following extensive
engagement with members
of the public, including com
munity finance practitioners,
advocacy organizations, and
investors who are working to
strengthen the financial infra
structure needed to invest in
the economic potential of un
derserved communities nation
wide.
140th City of Savannah Council To Be Inaugurated January 2nd
The 140th Adminis
tration of the City of Savannah
will be inaugurated on Tues
day, January 2, 2024.
The 2024 Inaugura
tion will take place at the Sa
vannah Civic Center’s John
ny Mercer Theatre, 301 W.
Oglethorpe Ave., at 7 PM The
general public is welcome to
attend.
The ceremony will
feature a musical prelude from
Teddy Adams and the Savan
nah Jazz Hall of Fame All-
Stars. Savannah Police and
Fire Departments will present
the colors ahead of the nation
al anthem. There will also be
a vocal music selection before
the eight elected members of
City Council take their oaths.
Mayor Van R. John
son, II will be sworn in for his
second tenn and deliver the
Shirley B. James and Mayor Van Johnson at 2023 Election Watch Party
Photo by Bee Creative Media
inaugural address. Following and adjournment there will be music by Savannah’s Nickel
an ecumenical/benediction reception in the ballroom with Bag of Funk.
President Biden Celebrates Black Small Business Boom, Announces
New Investments
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPANewswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia
During President
Biden’s visit to the Wisconsin
Black Chamber of Commerce,
he showcased the unprece
dented growth of Black small
business ownership under his
administration. In a press call,
top White House officials at
tributed the surge in Black en
trepreneurship, the fastest in 30
years, to Bidenomics, which
the president pledged would
receive further support through
new investments targeting un
derserved communities.
Hero Plumbing, a
Black-owned business in Mil
waukee dedicated to removing
lead pipes, is at the forefront
of this success story. The Bi
partisan Infrastructure Law’s
historic S15 billion funding al
location will help the company
fulfill President Biden’s prom
ise to do away with all lead
service lines by the end of the
decade.
While highlighting
his administration’s significant
investments in small business
es, particularly those owned
by Black entrepreneurs, Pres
ident Biden still faces opposi
tion from some Republicans in
Congress. However, adminis
tration officials said, despite
GOP resistance, the American
Rescue Plan played a vital role
in sustaining small businesses
during the pandemic.
Biden’s commitment
to fostering opportunities for
working families and small
business owners is contrasted
with Republicans in Congress
advocating a return to failed
trickle-down economics. Offi
cials said Biden remains stead
fast in his belief that diversity
is crucial for economic securi
ty, making unprecedented in
vestments in Black communi
ties to safeguard the American
dream.
Investing in Black
Entrepreneurship and
Opportunity
Administration of
ficials noted that Biden’s “In
vesting in America” agenda
has catalyzed historic gains in
small business creation and en
trepreneurship.
Continued on Page 5
Dr. Jamal Lawrence Announced As
GRIT 2024 Keynote
The Creative Coast
is excited to announce Dr. Ja
mal Lawrence, MD, as a GRIT
2024 keynote speaker. The an
nual two-day GRIT Conference
unites the region’s entrepre
neurs, technologists, creatives,
and visionaries over inspiring
keynote sessions, panel discus
sions, and workshops. GRIT
2024 is set to take place from
February 29th to March 1st at
the iconic Savannah Civic Cen
ter in Savannah, Georgia.
Dr. Jamal Lawrence,
MD is a double board-certified
Family Medicine and Lifestyle
Medicine Physician Leader.
Recognized nationally as a 40
under 40 Leader in Minority
Health and a Health Equity
Achieved through Lifestyle
Medicine Scholar, he is also
the founder of Harvest Health
MD, Savannah, Georgia’s first
black-owned and only male-
owned and operated direct
primary care practice. During
his training, Dr. Lawrence
became concerned with the
conflict between the level of
care his patients needed and
the unrealistic expectations
the current healthcare system
places on doctors while taking
care of their patients in limited
settings. Harvest Health MD
seeks to provide high-quality,
personalized, transparent, and
cost-effective care to small
businesses that traditionally
do not have the resources to
provide employees with the
healthcare experience that ev
ery person deserves.
In addition to Dr.
Lawrence’s keynote talk, the
event will feature numerous
panel discussions and work
shops on topics aligning with
this year’s conference theme.
The theme, “Leap into the
Future,” celebrates the Leap
Year with a vision toward to
morrow’s innovations. Recent
ly announced panels include
Dr. Jamal Lawrence, MD
Mindset Mastery: Balancing
Drive & Wellbeing in Entrepre
neurship, Sweaty Startups: The
Fusion of Tech and Traditional
Trades, Health Tech Horizons:
AI & New Frontiers in Medi
cine, and Women in Breakout
Roles.
The GRIT Confer
ence will continue to announce
speakers and panels at www.
thegritconference.com. Be sure
to follow @gritconference on
social media for regular up
dates.
Reserve your spot by
December 31st for an Early
Bird ticket rate of S149; after
this date, general admission will
be S249. Similarly, our Early
Bird VIP offer, at $249 (usually
$349), ends on the same date.
The VIP Ticket includes access
to the VIP Lounge, a unique
sidecar lunch, and an evening
reception with key conference
figures on February 28th, from
5:30pm-8:00pm, along with
full conference access.
For more informa
tion about the conference and
to purchase tickets, visit www.
thegritconference.com.
Happy Holidays itm
The Savannah Tribune Stan!
ROBERT E. JAMES
Preticfertf Smce
December 1971
CARVER
STATE BANK
erf. Feb. 23, 1927
96 Years of Service, Leadership and Success!
LOUIS 6 TOOMER
founder ond
tslPresideni
MAIN OFFICE
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