By: Kayla Cruz
August is Black Business Month, and Legal Innovators wants to spotlight the importance of Black businesses in the legal industry and beyond. Black Business Month serves to empower and highlight the significance of Black-owned businesses to our nation’s economy, and it is a month dedicates towards redirecting a portion of our individual spending to influence the sales of Black-owned businesses. Now more than ever, Black business owners are rebounding from the pandemic with less cash on hand to cover emergency expenses. Moreover, in the District of Columbia, differences in financial lending practices threaten the integrity of small Black-owned businesses, and Black Business Month strives to bridge the gap.
Washington, D.C. has a number of successful Black-owned law firms that range in practice from estate planning, to divorce, to entertainment law. The Griffin Firm is a Black-owned and Women-owned law firm that “empowers people and groups to create and protect wealth in order to leave a legacy for their family and community.” The Cochran Firm is another Black-owned law firm, and it is renowned for expert representation in the areas of plaintiffs’ litigation, personal injury, civil rights, and criminal defense, among other practice areas.
Some attorneys have used other means to reach and inspire ethnic minorities. RSColeman & Associates, LLC, founded by Rana Coleman, is a Black woman-owned law firm and staffing company that recently launched a new staffing division with the hopes of creating new visibility for African Americans in the legal industry. Coleman felt compelled to help place African Americans in legal positions because she noticed a lack of diversity at her previous jobs. Her vision is that the company will change the landscape of majority-white firms for years to come.
Additionally, some young Black attorneys dream of seeing increased ownership in the Black community and want minorities to see the fruits of their investments. For instance, Shymane Robinson founded True Lawyer to assist entrepreneurs in gaining ownership and intellectual property without breaking the bank. Robinson has an acute awareness of the wealth gap and how ownership works to help close it. True Lawyer is an intellectual property law firm that ensures Black owners and creatives are compensated for their inventions.
National Black Business Month captures the essence of Black entrepreneurship and invention while encouraging others to invest in minority communities. In an effort to continue striving for diversity and inclusion, it is important to celebrate the legacy of black ownership and its contribution to the nation’s economy. Access to capital and wealth building is crucial for closing wealth gaps in underserved communities.
Featured Businesses:
- The Griffin Firm: https://www.tgf-pllc.com/
- The Cochran Firm: https://cochranfirm.com/
- RSColeman & Associates: https://www.rscstaffing.com/
- True Lawyer: https://www.truelawyer.com/
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