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[Pages S5893-S5894]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL BLACK BUSINESS MONTH
Mr. PERDUE. Madam President, I rise today to recognize the great work
of the Georgia Greater Black Chamber of Commerce. The Georgia Greater
Black Chamber has focused on recognizing the integral contributions of
Black-owned businesses to the strength of both our State and our
Nation's economy during National Black Business Month in Auqust. For 7
straight years, Georgia has been named the No. 1 place in the country
in which to do business, and the Georgia Greater Black Chamber has been
instrumental in making that possible.
As I mentioned, August was National Black Business Month, and the
Georgia Greater Black Chamber celebrated by honoring an important
Georgian: Mr. Herman J. Russell.
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H. J. Russell was the epitome of the American entrepreneur. Despite
all the obstacles in his way, he worked hard to achieve his dreams. His
business started as a plastering company, and he grew it into one of
Atlanta's best real estate developers. Anywhere you look in Atlanta,
you will see the incredible landmarks that the H.J. Russell Company has
worked on: the Georgia Dome, Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, and
Castleberry Hill. As a business guy myself, I am inspired by all that
Herman J. Russell did in his life. Simply put, Atlanta would not be
what it is today without H.J. Russell and the H.J. Russell Company. His
children carry on this entrepreneurial spirit to this day. I recently
had the opportunity to visit with his sons Michael and Jerome. They and
their sister Donata Russell Ross are dedicated to continuing Black
entrepreneurship.
Recently, I had the privilege of visiting the Russell Center for
Innovation and Entrepreneurship--RCIE--with Housing and Urban
Development Secretary Ben Carson. The Russell Center assists African-
American entrepreneurs by providing workspace, networking
opportunities, and educational resources. In 2019, RCIE converted a
43,000-square-foot corporate headquarters into space for 100 emerging
entrepreneurial companies. RCIE is a testament to the efforts of
African-American entrepreneurs to uplift each other.
As the Georgia Greater Black Chamber and other organizations in my
State look to support growth in Black business and entrepreneurship, I
will continue to work to support them. Through a recent conversation
with Dr. David Thomas, president of Morehouse College, I was made aware
that approximately 45 percent of the young men who start as freshmen at
Morehouse will not graduate. I have appealed to the Georgia business
community to support HBCU's and hire their graduates as part of the
solution to this problem. I was also proud to work with Congressman
David Scott on a scholarship program for the ``1890s'' land grant
institutions like Fort Valley State to help ensure they can continue to
produce farmers and agri-businesses that are of critical importance to
Georgia's economic future.
African-American entrepreneurship and business ownership accounts for
nearly 3 million businesses in the United States and nearly a million
employees. Before COVID-19, African-American unemployment was at its
lowest point in U.S. history. These are remarkable statistics, but we
must continue to advance the important work of supporting Black
businesses, as this is key to empowering communities and individuals to
move out of poverty and into prosperity.
I look forward to working with the Georgia Great Black Chamber of
Commerce and other Chambers in Georgia to ensure Georgia remains the
best place in America for all businesses.
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