Roeland Park proclaims Black History Month and recognizes Kansas City GIVE

Mayor Michael Popa read a Black History Month proclamation into the record at the Feb. 2 Roeland Park City Council meeting, noting the city's diversity, the local DEI committee's work and recent municipal nondiscrimination steps.

Following the proclamation, Brandon Calloway, founder and CEO of Kansas City GIVE, described his organization's grant and business-coaching programs. "We provide grants between 10,000 and a $100,000, to black owned businesses," Calloway said, and added that GIVE has distributed about $2,000,000 to 83 Black-owned businesses and supported roughly 165 new jobs through its programs.

Calloway said GIVE also operates a business center at 50th and Prospect that offers free one-on-one coaching, accounting, marketing and legal support to entrepreneurs. Council members thanked Calloway and asked whether the city could partner to bring Black-owned businesses to vacant retail spaces; Calloway offered to recommend businesses and collaborate on recruitment and development.

Council discussion touched on local economic-development tools (an economic development fund and Project Rise) and the possibility of establishing a small local grant program to attract a Black-owned business to Roeland Park's commercial spaces. The council posed follow-up questions about GIVE's service area, and Calloway clarified the grant focus is concentrated on the East Side of Kansas City while the business center serves businesses from any area.

Next steps: Council and staff noted they will follow up with Calloway on possible collaboration and a photo opportunity to acknowledge the proclamation.