Philadelphia City Council passes "Shop Black Business Friday" resolution

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- While you explore everything the area has to offer this holiday season, the Philadelphia City Council has made a major step in supporting diverse small businesses through the month of December. 

On Thursday, councilmembers passed a resolution designating each Friday in December as "Shop Black Business Friday."

READ MORE: Philly coffee shop owners welcome return of "Shop Black Business Friday"

The resolution was reintroduced by Councilmember At-Large Katherine Gilmore Richardson in partnership with Visit Philadelphia, and encourages people to support the many diverse businesses in the city. It has passed each year since 2020.

Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker first issued the resolution in 2020 while serving as majority leader in City Council.   

At Arterial Coffee Shop in Powelton Village, the resolution is welcomed. Co-owners Sharla and Sharaine Brown said they're slowly rebounding like most businesses since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the resolution to continue "Shop Black Business Friday" helps, and they are hoping it continues to make a difference.

Jenea Robinson, senior communications manager at Visit Philadelphia, says Black-owned businesses bring in an estimated $141.1 billion in annual revenue nationally. Online they highlight dozens of businesses at visitphilly.com.

"Black-owned businesses were disproportionately affected by the pandemic, the Black-owned businesses closed at higher rates and moving forward past that, there are fewer Black-owned businesses in the city, there's still issues with capital," Robinson said. 

You can find Visit Philadelphia's lists of diverse small businesses to support in Philadelphia below:

• Black-owned businesses
• Latino-owned businesses
  
• Asian-owned businesses

In:
• Philadelphia City Council
• Philadelphia