Callum Daniels

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

advocacy

Blackfalds man hopes to help minority-owned businesses flourish

Aug 21, 2020 | 3:45 PM

A local man wants to put a major dent in racism by ensuring businesses owned by black, Indigenous and visible minorities (BIVM) know how to promote themselves, and are supported by their community.

BIVM Business Access Alberta was launched in June by Callum Daniels, who’s also taking up the battle against the racial wealth gap.

The 20-year-old’s ancestors were slaves in the United States before making their way north to Regina. His great grandfather later served in WWII, and other kin have built a rich family history in central Alberta.

Daniels, who lives in Blackfalds says his long term goal is for BIVM Business Access Alberta is to help minority-owned businesses nationwide.

“Supporting these businesses helps dissipate the racial wealth gap, it strengthens local communities, it promotes job creation in BIVM communities, and it also celebrates culture,” he says.

project will take one year

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According to a 2019 report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives citing 2016 data from Statistics Canada, racialized Canadians had an unemployment rate of 9.2 per cent, compared to 7.3 per cent for those who are non-racialized.

In 2015, the report adds, racialized men earned 78 cents for every dollar that non-racialized men earned, a figure that remained unchanged since 2005.

Daniels says racism and prejudices are major contributors to the barriers faced by BIVM-owned businesses.

“I experience many versions of racism on a day to day basis living in central Alberta, including overt, covert, and systemic racism,” says Daniels, who also co-founded the ‘Blackfalds Against Racism’ Facebook group and an organization called ‘Black and Indigenous Alliance AB.’

“I’m constantly asked, ‘Where are you from?’ and when they don’t receive the answer they’re looking for, they dig deeper, saying, ‘No, your family.’ The moment I say my family is of African descent, they stop, because that’s all they wanted to hear. Fellow employees at a former workplace would joke about Blackfalds versus ‘Whitefalds’ — Blackfalds referring to the older middle class side of town, and ‘Whitefalds’ referring to the more updated upper middle class side.”

There are many simple ways to combat racism, as it relates to an economic and business standpoint, he continues.

“No amount of support is too small. Being interactive with a business is a great way to support them, whether it’s liking or sharing their posts, purchasing goods from them, and reviewing said product,” Daniels says.

“For businesses, I highly recommend they study social media algorithms and get familiar with popular hashtags. When it comes to their social media pages or a website, I suggest branding their business in a way that makes them unique, while keeping their design and aesthetics clean. Including a backstory for your business is also very important as it makes it more personal.”

Daniels hopes get his own website going that will maintain a listing of all BIVM-owned business in central Alberta. His next step, however, is the creation of a petition to eventually be sent to MLAs and MPs demanding action on racial economic disparities.

BIVM Business Access Canada is self-funded with Daniels hoping to achieve non-profit status in the future.

More information is on Facebook.