The Shulman Rogers law firm recently announced the start of their second year of their program dedicated to providing aid to Black-Owned businesses.
In a newly shared press release, the leaders of Shulam Rogers, Kimberly Mann and Michael Lichtenstein, announced that they’ll be providing free legal support to a Black-Owned business in the C.D., Maryland and Virginia area.
The program is open to any businesses that are at least 51 percent Black-Owned and controlled. The applications will be open for the business owners and the final decision is expected to come by late December. As part of the program, the law firm will also help the business with community involvement and pro-bono work as well.
For the program’s inaugural year, the award was given to Vennard Wright, founder of tech company Wave Welcome.
“The free year of legal services has been invaluable to me and my business, Wave Welcome,” said Wright per a statement. “Over the past year, our company has flourished, launching products including PerVista, an AI platform designed to detect firearms in real-time. Shulman Rogers’ full-service platform will allow us to shore up the foundation on which our future growth can flourish.”
The return of the program comes amidst targeted efforts by groups to limit aid to Black-Owned businesses, particularly when it comes to venture capital funds.
Venture capital firm Fearless Fund was accused by Edward Blum, the anti-affirmative action advocate who founded the group that sued the firm, of being “racial exclusionary” with their $20,000 fund for Black women-owned businesses.
Although the U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Thrash Jr., first ruled in favor of the Fearless Fund, the affirmative action group appealed his decision. With the appeal being approved by a majority of the panel, the grant process was halted right before the end date for the applications which was Sep. 30. Another panel will now have to decide on the future of the firm’s grant program.
Promptly after the decision was made against Fearless fund, it was announced that another venture capital firm’s fund for Black-Owned businesses was being targeted.
Nathan Roberts, an owner of an Ohio-based trucking company, is accusing the firm Hello Alice and Progressive Insurance Co, their partner for the fund, of “racial discrimination” for providing relief to Black-Owned businesses. Conservative nonprofit America First Legal is supporting his claim.
Hello Alice has previously offered and awarded up to $25,000 in grants to 10 Black-owned businesses. As the venture capital firm fights against the case, they’ll be continuing with their loan programs, working towards their goal of providing aid to five million small businesses across the nation.
