“At least since June 20th, 1865, in the state of Texas, Black folk have been forging an entrepreneurial path”, said Charles O’Neal, president of the Texas Association of African American Chambers of Commerce (TAAACC). The organizations mission is “To ensure that African American Business Owners receive a fair share of the economic prosperity of Texas. Serve as a catalyst for a better quality of life in African American communities throughout Texas. Support policies that allow African- Americans ac- cess to economic opportunities.”
TAAACC one of the oldest Black business non-profits in the United States, it traces its roots to the Texas State Negro Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1936. The name was officially changed in 1993. Today, TAAACC currently represents 10,000 Black chamber members within the state of Texas and advocates for over 350,000 Black-owned business.
“Now there are 30 Black Chamber of Commerce operating in our state, from the Panhandle down to the Gulf Coast, Central Texas, behind the Pine Curtain in East Texas,” said O’Neal. AFRAM News spoke with President Charles O’Neal about TAAACC and the vision for Texas’ Black business community. A native Texan, O’Neal grew up in central Texas in Fort Hood and Killeen where his father served in the military. He attended North Texas University in Denton, Texas before starting in his career in the newspaper business. It was in the newspaper i ndustry that O’Neal began to recognize the challenges Black businesses faced. “I did spend 25 years in the newspaper business, watching how money owed or failed to ow in our communities. at vantage point allowed me to peek behind the curtain and see some of the faces arrayed against Black- owned businesses and then use that experience to try to unravel the onion, so to speak,” he said. A er 20 years in the industry O’Neal went on to serve 17 years with the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce.
For the past 10 years, he has led TAAACC, advocating for the growth and success of Black businesses across the state. TAAACC works tirelessly to ensure that Black owned business have equal opportunities in the marketplace as everyone else, but their mission is far from easy. “It’s not sexy. It’s not a pretty fight. It’s often brutal. And we still have much work to do, to achieve” he said. Chambers of Commerce are primarily advocacy organizations, but sometimes the full extent of their work gets overlooked. While these organizations strive to effectively communicate the challenges their members face, they are also working to provide the technical assistance necessary to help members take full advantage of the opportunities that they are fighting for on the advocacy side. It is a dual effort, balancing both fronts.
“It’s really a daunting piece of work that has to be done, and far too often a thankless task” he said. Many people mistakenly think the main role of Black Chambers of Commerce is organizing celebratory events like banquets or luncheons. However, the real work happens behind the scenes, meeting with corporate and political leaders to address the unique challenges that Black business owners face. Unfortunately, many business owners feel that their success is solely tied to their own efforts, and do not always acknowledge how much work is happening in the background to support them. The organization was founded by Black chamber leaders who understood the need to focus on local markets but also recognized that they needed a stronger collective voice where critical decisions were being made.
For nearly a century, the organization has been working to advocate for Black businesses. “It’s kind of mind boggling to me that it’s been a hundred years and, we’re still having to work as hard, if not harder because now the challenges are getting wrapped up in some soft language that makes it look like everything is okay.” Access to capital, opportunity, and marketplace continues to be a challenge for Black owned businesses. With a population of 30.5 million, Texas is home to 11.6% of Black residents according to a 2021 report. The state spends only 1% of its purchases for goods and services with Black-owned businesses. “I think that’s criminal,” he said.
“Corporations that rely on black consumers spending with no reciprocity, ranges from telecom companies, cable companies, grocers, and automobile dealers, all of whom can track black dollars directly to their bottom line, but without ever having extended an opportunity to earn from that consuming relationship” he said. As an organization TAAACC focuses on education, advocacy, and holding companies accountable. How- ever, despite the efforts the economic contributions of Black communities are clear, but the economy fails to give back to those communities in return.
Being an entrepreneur and business owner has become popular among younger generations. O’Neal suggest that Black business owners should join their local chamber of commerce. “If in fact you believe that it is not being the most effective advocate for the concerns in your local community, then perhaps just what is needed is you. I encourage business owners to take advantage of the platform that exists, to ensure that the door is not closed in front of you and that it stays open for those coming behind you” he said.
9 years ago, for the 150th anniversary of Juneteenth, Juneteenth was recognized as a national holiday, Texans have been celebrating Juneteenth since 1865. June 20th, 1865, is when Black people had to become entrepreneurs because they had to figure out a way to earn a living. “For those 159 years to result in 1% spending is criminal. That’s the challenge that we’re attempting to address on a consistent basis… to effectively articulate against those who say ‘y’all had enough, or you don’t deserve it, or you didn’t earn it,’” he said. O’Neal expressed that he is excited about the organization’s future, and he hopes that for generations the legacy and work of the organizations continues. “What I hope for is that more people become aware, that we do have a say in this. We must have a say in this, you know, and that there is a way” he said.
