The Tennessee Multicultural Chamber of Commerce (TMCC), formally the Chattanooga African American Chamber of Commerce (CAACC) opened its doors in July, 1999. After a year of planning, a dedicated group of individuals who raised $20,000 to study the issues and create an agenda for change.
The trailblazers are listed below:
- Dan Anderson
- Elijah Cameron
- Councilman John “Duke” Franklin
- Sherrie Gilchrist
- Councilman Yusuf Hakeem
- Carolyn Jones
- Warren Logan, Jr.
- Gerald Mason
- J. T. McDaniel
- Janice Miller
- Lamar Partridge
- Councilman Leamon Pierce
- Bertha Seals
- Councilman John Taylor
- Veronica Young
The premise for creating an African American Chamber of Commerce was to create an entity that would provide specific information to companies and municipalities looking to do businesses with minorities and females; especially those governed by Title VI with respect to receiving federal dollars. There was a constant theme from large companies and government agencies that they did not know where to find “disadvantaged businesses” when they were trying to meet the Title VI mandate. Therefore, a data base was created on all licensed Black Businesses in Hamilton County.
The CAACC was never created to be divisive as it relates to the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. There past board chairman was included in the discussions and proposal for creating the CAACC. When it was determined that we would form this organization the Chattanooga Area Chamber invited us to utilize office space in their building and the CAACC agreed and became a paying tenant. Both chambers are represented on each other’s board of directors.
The chamber grew from zero members to two-hundred by October 1999 and has increased its clients by 50-100 persons each year. The reason for the growth is associated with a few things, but specifically technical assistance to help prepare businesses for future procurement opportunities. In addition, the CAACC is very flexible with its services and always trying to meet the client’s needs through innovative means.
Why create a separate Chamber if its members are much broader than African Americans? We exclude no one, but what we did come to realize was that African Americans account for more than a third of the population and received less than other ethnic groups’ percentage wise in contracts. The CAACC was created to address the problems and provide assistance through connecting entrepreneurs to the appropriate resources and/or fulfilling the void with new services.
The organization finds it difficult to understand why the question continues in this capitalistic environment -- where every business started to service a need. Traditional chambers have always operated and partnered with other trade associations such as the Manufacturers Associations; Minority Business Alliances; the Associated General Contractors partner with Home Builders Association, the Union Trade Associations, etc. On the other hand we squawk at having just one grocery store, pharmacy, and retailer because we like a variety of options.
Yet the questions continue. For those who really want to know why just ask the for the number of Black Businesses securing local contracts; the number of Black Businesses securing successful contracts in other cities, but not here; look at the number of business failures, business sectors, access to capital issues, bonding issues, etc. Nevertheless, just an hour away these same companies do very well. Therefore, from our perspective the question should be why not. After all, the more progressive cities have several ethnic chambers and cross the United States. All of our neighboring states have Black Chambers and there are more than 300 in the United States; 14 in the Black Diaspora and 20 twenty internationally