Atlanta has a seeming abundance of Black millionaires and businesses, but researchers say it is a city that’s deeply unequal.
Atlanta’s reputation for being a mecca for Black businesses goes back more than 100 years, starting with Alonzo Herndon, Atlanta’s first Black millionaire, and the bustling businesses along Auburn Avenue. Today, the region has the highest rate of Black-owned businesses with employees in the country, however Black-owned small busineses in Atlanta earn just 17 cents to every dollar earned by other small businesses in the city. (Illustration: Philip Robibero/AJC)
In Atlanta, there is a spirit of possibility that imbues the air, born from what entrepreneurs and experts all seem to agree on: The city is a mecca for Black business.
They cite the hard facts, like the region having the highest rate of Black-owned firms with employees in the country. They point to the seeming abundance of Black millionaires in the city and Black-owned storefronts across every neighborhood.
Some Brookings Institution experts even say the Black business activity in the region could be contributing to the life expectancy of Black people here being higher than models predict.
And yet, that’s not the full story.
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How the mecca was built
Haz Musa, founder of Royal Teeth Lab, shows off his custom-made grills in his showroom within Ndstry studios in Atlanta on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (Olivia Bowdoin for the AJC)
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Jabril Trawick, known as Brill Lightyear and owner of Ndstry ATL creative studio, shows off his grills made by his cousin, Haz Musa, in Atlanta on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (Olivia Bowdoin for the AJC)
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eht eht edis esir scitilop rehto eno fo fo si ni .nioc emac dna ehT dranyaM .noskcaJ ssenisuB
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ot siht taht tes tup ecalp ytironim setadnam sregnil ni eh noitadnuof rof .yad sessenisub a ehT
sraey ,efiw erew ot ot rieht eht eht taht gnikat detrats noitatuper roirp ,ffo evom ortem ni sih depleh dah morf wef ylimaf .sdaorssorc ecnivnoc s’ytic ssenisub golb nageb ta .aera dna dna dna a a a ,notgnihsaW srelyT relyT yehT ehT ,einnoR ramaL ,.C.D atnaltA 0102
I“ ot yeht eht yats os .dias ro ym .devom ,aidem boj si otni buh dah og degdelf-lluf rof rehtie latigid ”,ssenisub ta a relyT ramaL atnaltA
t’ndluow tahw gnisu ot ot d’yeht yeht rieht eht eht sseccus .erutats detrats os emas dias rehto no denrael dehcnual ti ni fi pleh eh evah dah dah ,worg desucof .sruenerpertne did deunitnoc ,ynapmoc .ytic golb rehtona dna a ’srelyT relyT ciffarT PST selaS ,tiforP nI sA 5102
Lamar Tyler (left) — pictured speaking to Issa Rae at Traffic Sales and Profit’s conference in 2023 — co-founded TSP in Atlanta in 2015 to help other entrepreneurs. (Jenni Girtman for the AJC 2023)
eeuqram sti si tneve .ecnerefnoc launna ehT PST atnaltA
… I“ ,yeH‘ uoy nehw ?tahw kniht yeht yeht eht taht ”’,sseccus ees ees ees ees ,yas .dias elpoep elpoep fo fo .yenom ekam tol tol wonk ,ni ni ,epoh .ereh eh ytinummoc emoc ytic dna a a a I I I naciremA nacirfA
Still not at parity
htiw hcihw sepyt owt latot ot esoht ereht ereht eht eht elos elos noiger ,spihsroteirporp ,spihsroteirporp ro no fo fo fo rebmun on on on ynam si si ni ni woh evah rof ,smrif mrif erugif tcaxe reyolpme .seeyolpme ,seeyolpme yltnereffid atad detcelloc tub :sessenisub .sessenisub sessenisub sessenisub sessenisub esuaceb era era dna gnidrocca s’erehT derdniK ,serutuF denwo-kcalB kcalB ,atnaltA tuobA %79
pot ot ereht eht noiger etar tniopnip fo fo ,ortem ortem ynam ni woh sah smrif smrif mrif reyolpme reyolpme atad atad susnec nac era yna gnidrocca .S.U ehT .eerTgnidneL tuB denwo-kcalB denwo-kcalB :atnaltA .667,31
dluow ot ereht eht eht eht taht naht yduts llits trohs erahs tnecer ,gniknar ,noitalupop .ytirap ylno fo fo fo fo fo rebmun wen ylraen erom erom ortem ortem hctam .sboj sti si werg morf .dnuof dnuof ,smrif smrif sllaf reyolpme reyolpme etaerc tub sessenisub eb era dna a noitutitsnI fI etipseD sgnikoorB sgnikoorB ,denwo-kcalB denwo-kcalB ,kcalB kcalB atnaltA atnaltA tuobA 000,05 %73 000,623 %11
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.krow eht tnediserp fo ,tiforpnon s’efil si si .flesmih rof ruenerpertne seinapmoc dna dna na gnilacS llessuR yaJ noitavonnI .J.H sruenerpertnE retneC OEC denwo-kcalB s’yeliaB yeliaB
ohw tnew saw pu ot ot ot rieht eht dednuorrus gnirts oerets detrats trats srenwo no fo yenom gnikam hcnual gnillatsni deripsni noitavonni ni .flesmih mih spleh eh eh worg pag rof rof llif tnempiuqe sruenerpertne ,retnec rac yb .sessenisub .sessenisub ssenisub ta dna a a woN gniworG ,rutaceD kcalB yeliaB tA ,21
eW“ eW“ ev’ew eht eht eht ”,tirips ”.elacs .dias evah evah tog ,ygrene t’nod yeliaB
Jay Bailey — pictured speaking to Black entrepreneurs in Atlanta in 2023 — is president & CEO of the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs. The Decatur native created the center in Atlanta to help Black entrepreneurs, however he said the city could do a better job at investing in its own businesses. (Miguel Martinez/AJC 2023)
semoc“ eht eht taht yticracs dias ”.ecruoser ecruoser noitatuper gnitniop nwo tuo tuo ro ,semitnetfo ,fo fo fo fo kcal sti gnitsevni ni eltsuh gnivah gnidnuf gniod erutluc dluoc ytinummoc s’ytic ,sessenisub retteb eb ta dna a a eH atnaltA
woH“ ezinopaew ew ew owt ot ot ot eht eht taht taht gnikat htgnerts trats .dias etomorp etomorp eno fo ,tnemevom gnikam ti ,noitavonni ni evah ezinavlag drawrof ”?evif seeyolpme cimonoce od ytic ssenisub dna dna dna lla yeliaB
A better Black mecca
htrow llew tseihtlaew ot eht eht eht eht erawtfos gniludehcs detneserper sgniknar sesuohrewop lufrewop srenwo eno no fo fo fo tsom tsom tsil ekil ekil si si dedulcni ,luftcapmi rednuof ,tcaf detamitse tnemniatretne ytic seitic ssenisub ,noillib sa sa dna na gnidrocca relyT epoT ehT ,yrreP nI s’KLBsebroF .sebroF .yldnelaC kcalB ,anotowA anotowA atnaltA .snaciremA 05 4.1$
ot esoht rieht eht citametsys sesseccus noitagujbus yas srehcraeser troper tnecer ylralucitrap nwo emocrevo no fo fo laudividni ni noisulcxe cimonoce seirutnec t’nac yb dna gnidrocca a ,htuoS derdniK .serutuF tuB kcalB ,snaciremA
sraey ohw pu ot emit yeht rieht eht eht tsewhtuos hcaer dlo fo ,doohrobhgien selim tsuj si emocni ni dlohesuoh ,sretrauqdaeh worg .tesatad nerdlihc susnec yb egareva gnidrocca tuoba a ytinutroppO nwotdiM roF hsilgnE s’yldnelaC eunevA ,saltA s’atnaltA 53 3 ,000,51$
A shuttered school is pictured in the English Avenue neighborhood of Atlanta. The community is so poor that the average household income is $15,000 for children who grow up there and reach 35 years old. (Arvin Temkar/AJC 2024)
rieht eht ytrevop tuo ylno fo fo ,emitefil ti otni ni ni evah sah gnitteg .dnuof ,ytic nerdlihc ecnahc nrob a derdniK serutuF atnaltA ssorcA %4
tuoba“ eciv eht ,hcraeser tnediserp laitnetop ycilop srenwo ro ylno fo accem sti si fi s’puorg ”.srednuof noitinifed deredisnoc nac ssenisub ssenisub eb gnitcartta dna a roF ,elledramaC kcalB atnaltA xelA
tuB“ htiw htiw ew ew ot gnivirht kniht eht eht ,taht yas .dias ,eunever noitalupop stniop accem seussi ni ni ”,evah rof ,tcaf .metsysoce t’nod seitirapsid gninilced etalfnoc laicremmoc ytic nac ssenisub gnieb gnieb dna .ytilibadroffa a a a I I eH elledramaC kcalB kcalB kcalB dnA
dluow hcihw llew htlaew gnisu ot ot ot ot ot meht rieht eht ekat dias sretner snoitaluger tcetorp tnemerucorp ycilop fo fo erom accem ekam peek ti ti tsevni emocni ,noisulcni gnidulcni ni ,srenwoemoh rof stroffe cimonoce gnitaerc dluoc stcartnoc smialc ytic .ssenisub ,eb sa sa yarra dna dna na wolla a elledramaC atnaltA
rednu allerbmu yllacipyt ot eht eht eht eht eht taht stegrat .noitseuq stup cilbup ssergorp etavirp gniyalp fo fo fo won ytironim ynam edam otni ,sevitaitini noisulcni ni evah rof dleif neve ytiuqe ,sruenerpertne stroffe ,ytisrevid sessenisub era dna dna dna demia .noitartsinimda pmurT sihT tuB kcalB kcalB atnaltA
erew eht dias reven .laog morf dna evitamriffa noitca yrreP IED tuB sgnikoorB
tI“ gniretaw saw ot ot ot esoht ,dias .tnalp seitinutroppo stekram maertsniam gninekil ekil snoitutitsni sevitaitini ni rehgih eh evah enoyreve ”,esle lanoitacude latipac dna syawla ssecca a
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erehw ereht taht secruoser edivorp snaicitilop fo ytironim thgim si snoitutitsni rof ,gniretlaf .sruenerpertne noitalletsnoc eb a tuB
The Center for Black Entrepreneurship — whose executive director, Grant Warner, is pictured speaking at Spelman College in 2023 — is one of several organizations at Atlanta’s higher education institutions that provide resources to minority entrepreneurs. (Bita Honarvar for the AJC 2023)
ytisrevinu eht eht eht eht fo ekil rof rof ,sretnec ta ta era dna dna dna dna s’ytisrevinU .ytisrevinU ytisrevinU erehT etatS namlepS llamS esuoheroM esuoheroM noitavonnI noitavonnI s’aigroeG aigroeG pihsruenerpertnE pihsruenerpertnE lairuenerpertnE ;tnempoleveD tnempoleveD ;egelloC egelloC kralC ;retneC retneC retneC retneC ssenisuB kcalB atnaltA
llew s’ereht eht eht eht eht etavirp fo stiforpnon ekil ekil rof stroffe nur-ytic sa sa dna dna s’nemoW egalliV nabrU nehT llessuR ,ecalptekraM eugaeL noitavonnI ,evitaitinI retaerG pihsruenerpertnE .sruenerpertnE retneC atnaltA
ot ot detniop fo .elcatsbo gniregnil kcal sruenerpertne latipac sa ssecca a a tuB
… uoY“ dluow dluow neewt siht kniht ”,ereht ereht taht dias secruoser doirep fo fo fo ton accem accem tsuj s’ti ni laicnanif ynapmoc rednuof-oc erac yb ,sessenisub eb dna osla a telracS ,streboR .porDdeR anaD kcalB kcalB
,raey htrow lanoitidart ot ot yeht yeht dlos esiar .stcudorp hctip fo ton yenom noillim srotsevni gnivah dah morf yreve etipsed noititepmoc rednuof-oc emac neeb esuaceb deilppa dna ssorca elba smailliW streboR acinoM tsaL 7$
Monica Williams (left) and Dana Roberts are co-founders of tween period care company Scarlet by RedDrop. Despite having sold $7 million worth of products, the co-founders had trouble finding investors. Now, the company’s products are in more than 350 Ulta stores. (Courtesy of DeMorris Marable/MorrisDe Photography)
raey now eht naht .serots eerps stcudorp diap .ffo won erom noillim etal tsal ni ni ni noititepmoc era noitacilppa .kroY dekcab-smailliW atlU riehT riehT porDdeR llerrahP weN kcalB noitibmA 053 1$
troppus dedivorp dedivorp rehto ti t’nsah sah .gnidnuf morf ,sruenerpertne ytinummoc dna hguohT atnaltA
… ereht“ tI“ woH‘ ruoy uoy uoy uoy dluow erehw erew erew ew pu pot pot sloot koot ot ,neht eht eht taht taht taht ekat emos dewohs ,dias ,yllaer yllaer yllaer no no fo fo gnikrowten level latnemercni ,fi woh ”,sneppah taerg teg .gnidnuf gnidnuf morf yltcaxe tceffe od ,yredarmoc ”’?ssenisub eb dna dna osla smailliW dnA
SIHT SEIRES TUOBA
:atnaltA“ ruoy htiw lliw ohw tnaw seciov su pu .moc.cja@ltau stnalpsnart ot ot hguorht lufthguoht siht eht eht taht taht taht ?llet yrots seirots seires gnitroper noitseuq sezitiroirp ,repap lanigiro fo htnom accem slacol si ni .emoh raeh morf serolpxe .secneirepxe hcae ,nevird-atad tnetnoc ytic llac ta raeppa dna dna na tuoba a eW moc.LTAU LTAU esehT ”?acceM .yraunaJ tiH toG kcalB kcalB s’aciremA moc.CJA
Mirtha Donastorg is a reporter on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s business team focusing on Black wealth, entrepreneurship, and minority-owned businesses as well as innovation at Atlanta’s HBCUs.
