MBDA Business and Specialty Centers across the nation partner to launch awareness campaign promoting minority business enterprises (MBE) during National Minority Enterprise Development Week
[Washington, DC | September 18, 2020] – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) announced the inaugural “Buy MBE Day” event in coordination with its national network of MBDA Business Centers, Advanced Manufacturing Centers, Export Centers, and Federal Procurement Center. On Saturday, September 19, 2020, the nationwide effort encourages corporations, government buyers, and individuals to purchase goods and services from their local minority-owned business community.
“As communities across the United States continue on the path toward recovery and our economy strengthens, we anticipate “Buy MBE Day” will encourage consumers and businesses to support minority-owned firms on this day and beyond, spurring investment in local economies,” said Secretary Wilbur Ross, Department of Commerce.
“Buy MBE Day” will close the 7-day celebration of the Minority Enterprise Development Week, a national observance by presidential proclamation, whose week-long events feature award presentations, industry sessions, and networking opportunities.
“One of the top questions we are being asked is ‘what can we do to help’? The answer is to do what we can to infuse more dollars into minority-owned businesses” said David J. Byrd, MBDA National Director. “That is the foundational premise of what ‘Buy MBE Day’ is all about. There are also other ways to demonstrate support, such as social media posts celebrating minority-owned businesses, displaying “Buy MBE Day” signs in storefronts and home, and using local listings of minority-owned companies to discover new stores, restaurants, and service providers.”