Black-owned businesses are on a roll. In 2007, African-Americans ran 7.1 percent of businesses in the United States. Five years later, that number grew to 9.4 percent—even during a recession—according to the most recent data from the
U.S. Census Bureau released this September. The portion of U.S. businesses with employees led by Blacks slightly increased as well—from 1.9 percent in 2007 to 2.0 percent in 2012.
The good news is that Black-owned businesses are rising, though to be sure,
challenges remain.