According to PlaceEconomics’ 2022 report for the Historic Macon Foundation, Macon was categorized as one of the United States’ most redlined cities during the 1930s, according to a 2022 report from Place Economics. Nationwide, the practice of discriminatory “redlining” was put into place to deny mortgage loans or municipal services to some citizens based on race or income.
Large parts of Macon were clearly demarcated as high-risk for investment, particularly predominantly Black and minority neighborhoods. Because of this, those populations were left with poor economic infrastructure and a lack of community support that still sets minority communities at a disadvantage decades later.
However, a surge in support from local programs like NewTown Macon’s Downtown Dreams Initiative and the Middle Georgia Black Pages has made progress in reversing the damage done by redlining by providing loans, mentorship and advocacy for small businesses.
Today, Black-owned businesses make up 30% of businesses in downtown Macon, nearly double the 18% rate in 2021, according to NewTown Macon. The organization has lent more than $17 million to small businesses since 2021, Lauren Marshall, the vice president of NewTown Macon’s community development, said. And while the funds are intended for businesses at different points in their existence, about 65% of the money has gone to startups.
NewTown Macon is Middle Georgia’s first Community Development Financial Institution, or CDFI. CDFIs provide financing and support to underserved communities and small businesses through the United States Treasury Department.
“Whether businesses have a loan with us or not, we still support them in other ways, like through our DDI program and entrepreneurship academy,” Marshall said, referring to the Downtown Dreams Initiative.
NewTown Macon's Entrepreneur's Academy is a Knight Foundation-funded program centered on supporting aspiring entrepreneurs in creating a successful business plan. Participants learn about crucial business funding strategies, financial literacy skills and value composition.
Community resources like the Middle Georgia Black Pages & Resource Guide help connect customers with Black-owned businesses. Alex Habersham, who founded the Middle Georgia Black Pages in 1991, also facilitates the DDI program with NewTown Macon.
Anikitia Abram’s downtown business, Pretty Lux Co. started in 2020 as a candle company before growing into a luxury fragrance and beauty innovation company that also promotes STEM education through her workshop program, LuxChem Academy.
“I have always been deeply interested in science and entrepreneurship, and I saw an opportunity to merge the two in a way that hadn't been done at the local level,” said Abram.
Abram is a Double Bear after graduating in 2016 with her bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and in 2022 with an MBA. She is also a 2021 alumni of NewTown Macon’s DDI program.
“The program provided structured business training, mentorship and a community of founders who were serious about growing something real. DDI gave me tools I still use every day, from how I think about financials to how I communicate the value of what we do,” said Abram.
For Felicia Howard, owner of Felecia’s Cake Factory, community support for her passion for baking changed the course of her career. Howard shared that her journey baking began as an outlet to destress from her long hours working as a respiratory therapist.
Howard started out fulfilling custom cake orders for friends and family and was later inspired to officially launch her business at home in 2014.
“Coming from a healthcare background and not a business one was challenging at first,” she said.
Howard said her biggest motivator was “knowing that I was setting an example for my family, my kids and my friends – especially as a Black woman starting up my own business.”
She continued to expand her business’ footprint when she opened her first storefront downtown in 2017.
“I was showing them that I was passionate,” Howard said. “If you're passionate about something, you can work hard for it and plant yourself in the right place with the right people and do it.”
As the COVID-19 pandemic spiked in 2020 and extended well into 2021, small businesses showed that they were highly susceptible to disruptions in typical schedules and revenue streams.
As the public safety crisis expanded, Howard had to close her storefront and shift her target to fulfilling exclusively online orders. The change reduced the flow of customers to her downtown location, but Howard’s business remained viable.
“We were, fortunately, part of a grant program that helped us continue business,” she said.
Felicia’s Cake Factory was one among 70 Middle Georgia Black-owned businesses that received a grant from the Central Georgia Black Business Support Fund in 2020. The grant was created and funded through a partnership between United Way, the Urban CEO, Middle Georgia Black Pages and the Knight Foundation.
Howard was able to reopen her bakery in-person in 2021 and continues to run a location on Houston Road.
According to NewTown Macon, there has been steady progress for Black-owned businesses thriving in Macon.
“Last year we had a net gain of 10 new businesses open up in downtown Macon, so we hope that our programs continue to foster such growth toward a more equitable and supportive community for new businesses,” Marshall said.
Abram told The Cluster that her time at Mercer and in DDI has helped her grow not just as a business owner, but as a mentor for the next generation in the community.
“My goal has always been to show young people, especially those who look like me, that innovation, science, and manufacturing are pathways they can pursue right here in their own community,” Abram said. “I want students to see themselves as future inventors, formulators, and founders, not just consumers.”
Hannah Mock ‘28 is a communications and graphic design double major at Mercer and is currently a staff writer for The Mercer Cluster. When she’s not at a coffee shop catching up on her studies, Hannah is working on her latest artistic projects or out hiking a new nature trail. Her favorite things to write about include arts and culture, social issues and community accomplishments.
