Up until the late 1970’s, the epicenter for black business, located in downtown Milledgeville, was a place fondly called “The Strip”. “The Strip” provided a built-in customer base for aspiring black local entrepreneurs as well as a place of social-connection for the young and old. Its atmosphere was conducive for the sharing of ideas and the business deal opportunities. After it was razed for red
evelopment, the black business concentration nor the entrepreneurial-sprit associated with “the Strip” has never again been realized in the black community. From then until now, the presence and influence of black business owners in Milledgeville-Baldwin County has steadily diminished. This has stifled resources and opportunities in the black community. Our once stellar predominately black neighborhoods give evidence to these facts. This lack of a culturally diverse economic base severely hinders sustainable economic growth in Baldwin County. Richard Florida, the director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto and a professor of global research at New York University, states that “cultural diversity…--also play key roles in economic growth”.
