Building together: Local coalition spotlights black entrepreneurship
Markeith Cook has been organizing the community for years now.
After starting with the R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Coalition, a youth mentoring organization, in 2010, he founded the Coalition of Black Professionals, an organizational tool for local minority- and blackowned businesses, last year.
The COBP held their first event, a Black Business Expo, about a year ago at the Mellor Park Mall. About 70 different black- and minority-owned businesses had a seat at the table, filling the mall with booths showcasing their various enterprises. People traveled from around the state and north
Louisiana to attend.
“One of the things we were proud of is that before that event, a lot of those business owners didn’t know the others existed,” Cook said. “A lot of them are working together today based on that event.”
The Expo drew out young and old alike, which Cook said is part of the point of the COBP — to illustrate to younger individuals their potential. He hosted an event with the Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development District, Inc. (SWAPDD) last year for local youth ages 16-24 that are out of school and unemployed.
“They’ll help you get job training and placement if you’re out
of school and not working. At our event, we had several youth come out, they got paid when they got trained,” he said.
The SWAPDD works with businesses such as Lockheed-Martin, Aerojet and other large manufacturing corporations to replenish their workforce while providing opportunities to local residents.
The COBP’s next event was the B.U.I.L.D. (Believe, Unify, Inspire, Learn and Develop) Small Business Summit. Local entrepreneurs and state officials attended to host breakout and general sessions on different topics relevant to a new business owner, like commercial lending and banking for small businesses, securing state and federal certifications and contracting with the federal government and real estate investing.
“We had a lot of experts come in and teach on different subjects,” Cook said. “We were able to make a lot of statewide connections, and with the Small Business Administration, and I think a lot of people were able to follow up with those contacts and work with them on stuff they’re doing now.”
The COBP’s mission is threefold: raising awareness, providing education and highlighting excellence. The first two events hosted by the organization hit the first two pillars of the mission, and now, through partnerships with local businesses, comes highlighting excellence.
Last summer, the COBP helped sponsor the first-annual Summer Delights Food Festival, which was organized by the Candley family of El Dorado, owners and proprietors of the Candley’s Cookin’ food truck. Candley’s Cookin’ is owned by Shelia Candley-McGhee and Valerie Candley-Lumsey.
“Markeith has been very helpful to us,” Curttina Clark, one of Candley’s Cookin’s employees, said in a message to the News-Times. “[At the Black Business Expo] we had a great time networking and interacting with the community. Candley’s Cookin’ also sent a representative to a seminar last year (the B.U.I.L.D. Small Business Summit) that was hosted by COBP. … We look forward to particpating in anything COBP organizes because we know the impact they have.”
The COBP also partnered with Barbara Breggs, a local real estate agent, and Greg Modica, a facilities supplier for private and public sector enterprises, for a workshop on home ownership, particularly for first-time home buyers. Cook said that is another important marker for economic success.
Cook had hoped to make all of the events that were held this year annual ones, but between the 2020 election, which took up the first part of his year when he worked for a national presidential campaign, and now the coronavirus pandemic, some plans have been put on the backburner.
“I think people are aren’t thinking about that right now,” he said. “I think people are uncertain about what’s going on and I think those types of things will be more relevant and appropriate after all this settles down.”
Although COBP organizing is on hold for now, Cook said he thinks the effects are already being felt by the community.
“I think for a long time, especially back years ago, a lot of times people in the black community got a bad stigma, and I think the more people see black people being productive, starting and running successful businesses, that helps everyone,” he said. “We have a couple of rockstars around here. There’s definitely a thriving black business boom going on here locally.”
Maybe most importantly is the influence highlighting the success of black people has on younger generations.
“I have daughters, and my wife has a salon, and that’s all they know. They’ve grown up seeing her run her own business. That’s invaluable,” Cook said. “Preaching ownership to your children — not just businesses but homes too — it can’t help but have a trickle effect.”
Cook said resources for black entrepreneurs have become more available lately, allowing black people to find success in all kinds of industries, from fine wine to airlines.
“Anyone owning a business is a great thing, but with such a low percentage of black businesses compared to our white counterparts, we have to highlight those in the community because of a lack of resources, access to capital. That’s why you’ll see a lot of black people taking pride in black-owned businesses,” he said. “I don’t want people to think there’s any limitation. I’ve benefited from institutions locally, like BancorpSouth. I try to educate on those resources as much as possible. I make it my business to know things and to share things.”
“This is all vision and ideas and working hard. Organizations like mine, with a focus on growing black businesses and wealth, are good for the community,” he went on. “There’s a lot of dollars being left on the sidelines, a lot of talent not being utilized. It goes back to educating people on starting their own businesses.”
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, Cook encouraged Union County residents to continue patronizing local small businesses. He noted that when this is all over, locals may see more activity from local black entrepreneurs.
“I would say this for all businesses — please make sure you continue to support small businesses online, through pickups, because all of our businesses are going to be suffering — especially minority-owned businesses,” he said. “If you can go out and support these businesses, I think you should. Because of the coronavirus, a lot of people are going to be suffering.”
To learn more about the COBP, visit their Facebook page, where Cook posts daily.
“I have daughters, and my wife has a salon, and that’s all they know. They’ve grown up seeing her run her own business. That’s invaluable. “Preaching ownership to your children — not just businesses but homes too — it can’t help but have a trickle effect.”
— Markeith Cook, director, Coaltion of Black Professionals