Robert DeJournett saw Black-owned businesses struggling to thrive in Akron. So, acting on his compulsion to help, he formed the Black Chamber of Commerce, Summit County as a way to uplift minority-owned businesses and the business community as a whole.
“The purpose of this chamber really is for us to unify our resources, and our knowledge and our connections to be able to empower Black-owned businesses to thrive, be sustainable in the community,” said DeJournett, president and CEO of the Black Chamber of Commerce.
There are other organizations in Akron doing similar work as the Black Chamber of Commerce, he said — Greater Akron Chamber and Western Reserve Community Fund, for example — but none of them, with the exception of some of the Akron Urban League’s activities, are primarily focused on Black businesses.
Misty E. Beasley, the chamber’s vice president and chief operating officer, said the group intends to drive entrepreneurship and foster an inclusive business environment.