Washington D.C. Hosts Black History Month Events

- Washington, D.C. has one of the highest concentrations of Black-owned businesses in the nation, with 15% of all viable firms being Black-owned, compared to the national average of about 3%. - Networking events are a key component of the month's business-focused activities; the Greater Washington DC Black Chamber of Commerce is hosting a multi-chamber event with partners like The Harbor Bank of Maryland to foster connections and expand economic opportunities for Black-owned businesses and professionals. - Nationally, there are approximately 3.12 million Black-owned businesses which generate $133.7 billion in total sales and employ 1.18 million people. A 2025 Brookings Institution report noted that Black-owned businesses added $212 million in revenue to the economy in 2022. - Black women are a significant force in entrepreneurship; the number of businesses owned by Black women grew by 20.2% in 2020, which outpaced the overall growth of both Black-owned businesses (14.3%) and all women-owned businesses (3.1%). - Cultural events are a major driver of tourism, a sector that supported over 102,000 jobs and generated $10.2 billion in visitor spending for Washington D.C. in 2023. - For residents of Fort Washington, the National Park Service is hosting special ranger-guided tours at Fort Washington Park every Saturday and Sunday in February to highlight the role of African Americans in the fort's history, including the enslaved people who helped build it. - The historic U Street corridor, once known as "Black Broadway," was a hub of thriving Black-owned businesses, including the Industrial Bank, the first Black-owned bank in the region, which still operates today. - In early 2026, the D.C. government awarded $250,000 to the Black Georgetown Foundation and the Woodlawn Cemetery Perpetual Care Association to preserve historic African American burial grounds, linking cultural preservation with community investment.