This is the fifth annual observance of a culturally-responsive campaign to increase employment and sales among the more than 1 million African-American owned companies in the United States and to foster trade with black-owned firms throughout the Diaspora on the African continent, the Caribbean and Europe.
Based on the findings of the annual State of Black Business report, National Black Business Month events encourage policy makers to take concrete steps to make their jurisdictions more attractive to black business owners by increasing
         -- access to capital
         -- promotion of heritage tourism
         -- public and private procurement
         -- use of cutting edge technologies
         -- educational and training opportunities
         -- the exposure of black entrepreneurs
We suggest 31 different ways to support black business on each of the 31 days of August.
To organize events in your state, get your copy of Trouble in the Air: State of Black Business 2008 which includes organizing guides.  Call for more information 415-240-3537  or email us.

Iowa black entrepreneurship

There were 1,389 black self-employed in Iowa, according to 2004 Social Security Administration estimates, 3.75 % of the black labor force in the state. That compares with a 13.2% ratio among white entrepreneurs statewide. Achieving parity would mean another 3,494 African-American businesses in the state.
There is a pool of 2,137 black men and 2,394 black women in managerial and professional occupations to draw from, as measured by the 2006 American Community Survey.
Black aggregate income in 2006 was $885 million with a median income of $16,617.