Harlem entrepreneurs celebrate Black Business Month

new york — August is Black Business Month across the country. In Harlem, entrepreneurs are celebrating surviving the global pandemic by working together.

For 33 years, Harlem Garden Hats have added the crown jewel to fashion sophistication. Owner Evetta Petty’s creations can be seen at derby parties and other high-profile events around the neighborhood.

“It was a real sense of community among the small businesses, especially here in Harlem,” Petty told CBS2’s Jesse Mitchell on Monday.

Petty finds wealth through the Harlem Commonwealth Council, where Hamill Douglas serves as president and CEO.

“It’s a testament to the business owner’s management skills,” Douglas said, acknowledging the resilience of store owners like Petty’s to survive.

When Covid arrived, Petty closed her shop for five months, hoping it would reopen.

“I was at home making masks and packing and shipping them, putting them on my website, so I did that to make some income, but it was very, very difficult,” Petty said.

Nikoa Evans gave out free meals to make up for her sit-down routine while her Harlem sexy taco restaurant was closed.

“We are the community,” Evans said. “We’re not business owners who drive through our neighborhood, open our store, and then go home at the end of the day. We live here. These are our friends, our family, so for us to see the fight was very personal.”

The Harlem Commonwealth Council has been instrumental in keeping these businesses afloat by disbursing more than $15 million in financing in fiscal year 2021.

“Capital is the lifeblood of business, but we don’t put capital to work,” Douglas said. “We also provide education in financial literacy.”

Petty was one of the winners of the council’s Harlem Entrepreneur Fund grant, which gave her the technical support she needed to transform her business.

“I was able to redesign my very old, very old website, and it just pops. It’s very, very good,” Petty said.

The Harlem Commonwealth Council team opened a Petty Shop on Facebook and Instagram last month.

Evans now plans to expand, splitting her taco shop and doubling as a coffee shop.

This success is not possible without support. The Harlem Commonwealth Council is currently seeking funding for the next round of grants and loans — to help more local businesses grow.

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