Facebook has announced that Black-owned businesses can now apply for its grants of over $40 million.
The company on Wednesday said that majority Black-owned US businesses with up to 50 employees can apply for the grant online.
As part of the gestures, Facebook is also allowing Black-owned businesses to self-designate their Facebook page as being Black-owned. The designation won’t appear publicly on the profile or page, but it will come up as being Black-owned in the Businesses Nearby section.
Facebook said, “This will make it easier for people to discover, message, buy goods or order food through third-party apps from Black-owned businesses in their local communities.”
Facebook added it’s already distributed the majority of its COVID-19 grants to small businesses whose revenue has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
This is coming as Black Lives Matter protests are continuing across the US as people demonstrate against the deaths at the hands of the police of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, and systemic racism.
