Idaho Black Community Alliance helps new and existing black business owners

Idaho Black Community Alliance, a non-profit that preserves and promotes Black culture and community in Idaho, hosted an event on Sunday to educate newcomers and the black community about black history in Idaho and show support for local black-owned businesses.

“You know we celebrate Black history every day when you’re Black, but this is an opportunity to share Black history with our community,” said Shari Baber, the CEO and founder of Brown Like Me Mentorship Program. “Because we are a small population here in Idaho. A lot of people just think we don’t exist, and we do.”

It was a day dedicated to celebrating Idaho’s previous, current, and future African American generations. It was filled with culture and support for local black-owned businesses.

“Black history is for me, but it’s also for everyone else in our community,” said Trish Walker, the CEO for Idaho Black Community Alliance. “We want to focus on those Black businesses, introducing them to the community.”

The Idaho Black Community Alliance puts on community events and also helps new and existing business owners get the resources they need to be successful.

“We will be going across the state to connect them with other resources that can help them with loans, financial aid or any type of grant or just any type of resource that they need to help them make their businesses stronger and to be a viable part of this community,” Walker said. “This community is growing. I am a fourth-generation. I was born and raised here so for me, I’ve known pretty much every Black person that’s come into town, now I don’t know hardly anybody and so we have grown tremendously

The Idaho Black Community Alliance has more than 70 black-owned businesses on their roster, and they hope that number continues to grow.

“I am also a Black business owner and what we want to do is to let people know that we are in this community,” Baber said. “we are a part of this community and we just want to share the rich history that lives in Idaho so that it can continue to live and grow stronger as a community.”

For more information on The Idaho Black Community Alliance and how to follow along with their events, people can visit their website, here.

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