Updated on February 1, 2026

February is Black History Month, a time when the United States (as well as other nations) celebrate contributions from Black Americans and African Americans.

For businesses of all sizes, it’s a prime time to celebrate employees while recognizing potential biases, and work toward creating a more equitable workplace for everyone!

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the origins of Black History Week, first established in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson. What began as a weeklong effort to recognize Black history has grown into the global observance now known as Black History Month.

The 2026 theme “A Century of Black History Commemorations” honors a century of progress and resilience in the ongoing fight for equality.

From company performance and brand reputation to employee retention, employee engagement, and company core values, investing in DEI impacts more than just the people who play an integral role in your business’s successes.

Understanding the Power of Black-Owned Business in Black History Month 2026

Supporting and celebrating Black-owned businesses goes beyond a single month of discussion. And sure, when you hear the words “Black entrepreneur,” there are probably only a handful of popular names and faces that come to mind.

That’s what makes understanding the impact that Black business owners have to the rest of American businesses all the more important.

According to a report by the Joint Economic Committee, more than 3 million Black-owned businesses contribute a whopping $200 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Black-owned businesses also employ some 1.2 million Americans.

As business owners, Black entrepreneurs make up 15% of all business owners in the US. From 2012 to 2021, the employee growth at Black-owned businesses outpaced the employee growth rate for all businesses at 33%.

Black-owned businesses continue to grow despite long-standing barriers to financing that limit Black business formation. Firms owned by Black entrepreneurs are denied credit at almost 2x the rate of white-owned firms (41% vs 18%). Between 2012-2017, the number of Black-owned businesses grew at a faster pace than the number of white-owned businesses, the JEC report notes.

Pew Research from 2025 found that Black- or African American-owned US employers affect change in some vital industry sectors. Roughly 26% of all Black- or African American-owned businesses were in healthcare and social assistance — providing support to a sector facing massive labor shortages while still keeping Americans healthy. Professional, scientific, and technical services comes in as the second most common industry sector, with Transportation and Warehousing coming in third.

Role of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace

Diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace impact more than just employees. It can affect overall company performance, brand reputation, and core values. Two-thirds of job seekers list diversity as a decision-making factor for employment opportunities.

ZipRecruiter co-founder and CEO explained that when 90% of the workforce values an organization’s mission to create a diverse workplace, it signals to employers that implement DEI programs can compete at a higher level for top talent.

DEI in the workplace strongly impacts the communities, industries, and customers for which you serve. Here, we provide you the role of DEI in the workplace and insights to boost DEI in the workplace.

• Company performance: A recent study predicts that 75% of businesses that integrate a diversity and inclusion committee or council will surpass revenue goals through 2022.^[3] Additionally, the same study showed that teams who were gender diverse exceeded less inclusive teams by 50%. Many studies have shown that companies with diverse decision-making teams achieve higher revenue goals. ^[4]
• Employee retention and engagement: Employers should be aware of generational gaps and demands across their employee base. For example, a majority of younger generations (under the age of 44) are from minority groups,^[5] and 50% of current employees demand their employers take a more proactive effort to increase diversity in the workplace.^[6]
• Brand reputation: Diversity and inclusion influences more than just the employees you recruit and internal staff, but can also impact a prospective client’s perception of your brand. In a 2017 article published by The International Journal of Business, Marketing and Decision Science, diversity of sales representatives can impact a customer’s decision to purchase.
• Company core values: Diversity and inclusion cannot be a one-time fix – it requires consistent training, adopting a systematic approach, and ingraining it into the core values of the company.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion takes time to refine for your specific company and culture. Revamping or revising diversity and inclusion provisions in the company’s employee handbook to developing a diversity and inclusion committee/council, as well as addressing and implementing sensitivity in the workplace training requires, help both leaders and employees. Navigating DEI can be complex, so entrust a human resources expert like VensureHR who can assist you in strengthening your DEI in the workplace.

---

^[1] Glassdoor
^[2] Cision
^[3] Gartner
^[4] Weber Shandwick, BCG
^[5] CNN Money
^[6] Glassdoor