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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE AUSTIN AFRICAN AMERICAN BUSINESS NETWORKING ASSOCIATION, INC.
WHEREAS, the Austin African American Business Networking Association, Incorporated (AAABNA) is a nonprofit corporation established in 2003 by Founder and Executive Director Malcolm Crawford and by local business owners; and
WHEREAS, Malcolm Crawford and local business owners, proud of their African American heritage, foresaw a need to pool together resources to bring about effective change in the African American community; and
WHEREAS, AAABNA came together to fulfill moral, mental and community obligations, in the hopes that their joint effort could only serve to enhance and ultimately benefit the total community at large; and
WHEREAS, as the Austin community develops and grows, AAABNA members and Board Chairperson Charmaine V. Rickett recognize the need for business opportunities, education, training and advocacy; and
WHEREAS, AAABNA is in partnership with Mayor Emanuel's Retail Thrive Zone Initiative, a program aimed at strengthening the economic vitality of the West Side's commercial corridor, utilizing an evolving package of financial assistance to entrepreneurs and businesses offered by the City, building community-based wealth, employment and improved access to amenities in the neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, AAABNA collaborated with the City's Planning and Development Department in 2013 to create a commercial thrive zone initiative called the "Soul City Corridor", stretching along Chicago Avenue from Cicero Avenue to Austin Boulevard, to serve as a cultural touch point where residents and visitors may experience the music and food that is unique to Austin's African-American population via small business development; and
WHEREAS, Austin African American Business Networking Association, Inc. continues to be at the forefront of economic impact by creating and stimulating business growth, and providing advocacy and business education in Chicago's Austin...
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