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MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) – August is National Black Business Month and there are copious black owned businesses in the Greater Mankato Area.
“The Mankato area and how diverse it is becoming and it highlights the need for businesses to accommodate different demographics in the area as well,” Greater Mankato Diversity Council Executive Director Mohamed Alsadig said.
According to Minneapolisfed.org in 2017 there were 26,506 black owned businesses in Minnesota and that number has continued to grow in the last 6 years.
“Mankato area has seen an influx of minority owned businesses in the last few years. In my opinion, it is not enough and we need to push for more ownership,” Alsadig continued.
Black-owned businesses like Mirrored Image Salon and Unique Hair and Ink are calling Mankato home, and offering much-needed services.
“Celebrating, learning, becoming aware of different cultures and hopefully being able to learn something from those cultures as to have they do things, why they do those things, what’s important to them,” owner of Unique Hair And Ink Richmond Clark explained.
“So, I think the importance of having a diverse salon like this one in this area is extremely important. A lot of times, we get turned away in other areas that don’t provide the services that we need or have the education or knowledge that is needed to be able to serve the different clientele here, owner of Mirrored Images Salon Valerie Hines said.
Richmond Clark, owner of Unique Hair and Ink, and Valerie Hines see the importance every day of highlighting Black owned business in their community.
“I think that when it comes to a small business whether it is clothes, hair, music. Anything that we are birthing forward to bring awareness into the community as well as to develop our community to grow further. I think that it is extremely important,” Hines stated.
“And then now to be a part of the black owned business month as well as just the minority culture within Minnesota and Mankato. It’s been huge, it’s been really great,” Clark added.
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