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.

North Carolina entrepreneurship

North Carolina had 40,387 black self-employed in 2004, according to Social Security Adminstration estimates, 4.2% of the black labor force. That compares with an 11.95% ratio among whites. To achieve parity would require an additional 75,534 black firms.
Among professional and managerial occupations, there were 57,970 black men and 130,067 black women, reports the 2006 American Community Survey.
Black aggregate income in 2006 was an estimated $28.3 billion with a median income of $20,285.