Charting Pathways to Progress
An In-depth Review into the Push Towards Black Entrepreneurship
Much has been said about the lack of access to resources, particularly the lack of access to business financing that Black entrepreneurs face. However, even before we can begin to address the barriers that Black entrepreneurs have to overcome, we must first gain a better understanding of what those barriers are. It is for this reason, the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (BEKH) was established. With the mandate of collecting data on the state of Black entrepreneurship in Canada and helping to better understand the lived experiences of Black entrepreneurs, the team of researchers at our Central Regional Hub at University of Alberta embarked on the mission to review the existing research on the subject. Co-led by Dr Philomina Okeke-Ihejirika and Dr Shirley Anne Tate, with the assistance of Oluwagbemiga Oyinlola and Prateeksha Pathak, doctoral candidates at McGill University and York University respectively, the Central Regional team attempted to conduct a scoping review of the research on Black entrepreneurship in Canada. Yet, who would have thought that one of the very first challenges would be a lack of research to complete the scoping review?
Those familiar with the field have been well aware that there is a dearth of research on the subject and have long tried to call attention to this dearth. Oluwagbemiga notes, “So the goal of this scoping review is not only to be academic, but for us to talk about, when you say something is a problem, how do we know it's a problem without having something to show?”
Challenges
A scoping review is a type of literature review that aims to provide an overview of existing research on a particular topic. The primary goal of a scoping review is to map out the existing literature, identify key concepts, and gain a better understanding of the range and diversity of research on a particular subject. So, when the University of Alberta Hub team chose to embark on a review of the research on Black entrepreneurship, it was expected that with the growth in the Black population in Canada, and consequently the Black entrepreneur population, there would also be an increasing body of research to mirror the surge. What became evident however, was that while the Black population was growing, the body of research into Black entrepreneurship was not.
As the unique nature of a scoping review requires a significant body of research to be present so that researchers can review and find common themes and differences, attempting to conduct one on a topic lacking both in volume of research as well as range, posed a formidable challenge for the researchers, compelling them to adopt an innovative approach to their scoping review. Recognizing the need to cast a wide net, they initially expanded the scope of their search beyond conventional entrepreneurship-related keywords. In their pursuit of insights, they probed for studies concerning Black businesses, Black business owners, and other synonymous phrases. Despite this expansive search, their initial inquiries yielded disappointingly meager findings specific to Black entrepreneurship. This raised compelling questions about the stark invisibility of a population that is undeniably present and active in the Canadian business landscape. Prateeksha explains, “I expected a lot more studies because we were looking at how the numbers are increasing and there was at least like 4-fold increase in the numbers of the Black population according to Stats Canada. So I was expecting a lot and then when we saw the results… We looked at each other… there was nothing… so for us it was like we need to understand why there is nothing being written.”
As visible minorities, Black entrepreneurs can be easily spotted as they navigate the Canadian society. Therefore, ‘entrepreneuring while Black’ should have made Black entrepreneurs an obvious population to probe for further research. However, what has become strikingly clear by the execution of the scoping review is the paradox of Black entrepreneurs' prominence as visible minorities, juxtaposed with their near-invisibility in the pool of available data— making them a visible yet invisible minority. Oluwagbemiga highlights, “This is just so glaring, like regarding the situation of Black entrepreneurship and need for more studies to focus on Black entrepreneurship. I mean, the population is increasing, but we are not talking about them. The population is increasing… We are silencing them empirically. And then policy wise, we need a more culturally appropriate focus on Black entrepreneurship…. I think this scoping review is just a baseline towards an end."
The scoping review could not continue with only the limited number of studies that the Alberta Hub team was able to find on their initial search. Faced with this stark scarcity of research, the team had to shift their perspective and broaden their focus. To gain a better understanding of the broader context, they opted to conduct a comparative study that encompassed other visible minority populations. Yet, even when compared with the volume of studies examining the experiences of other visible minority populations, research on Black entrepreneurship remained disconcertingly sparse.
The bulk of academic attention on visible minorities appeared to be centered on the experiences of Chinese entrepreneurs. Hence, a comparative study was executed, examining research findings pertaining to minorities of African and Asian origins. This innovative approach revealed valuable insights, highlighting key distinctions between the two populations and laying the groundwork for a more nuanced understanding of Black entrepreneurship in Canada.
Entrepreneuring while Black
While the scoping review is still in the phase of organizing its preliminary results, some key themes have been unearthed and are shedding light on the experiences of Black entrepreneurs and how they differ from other visible minorities. So far, what emerges as strikingly apparent is that there is a common thread that binds many Black entrepreneurs—a shared catalyst for the pursuit of entrepreneurship. Unemployment, underemployment and credential devaluation were some of the reasons that spurred many into entrepreneurship. A review of the research into Black entrepreneurship suggests that, for the Black community, the quest for self-sufficiency may not solely be a desire to generate wealth, but in actuality is a lifeline for survival when confronted by systemic barriers in traditional employment.
While the research so far would suggest that Black entrepreneurs are attempting to use entrepreneurship to stay afloat, it also suggests that despite being a highly educated population, Black entrepreneurs often struggle to see their endeavors as viable options for true wealth building. It may be then, that due to these circumstances, Black entrepreneurs’ outlook on entrepreneurship as a tool for community job creation and wealth building, instead of solely for survival capital may differ so greatly from other visible minorities. Prateeksha notes, “They were being pushed into entrepreneurship because of systematic racism, credential devaluation, those kinds of things which led us to an interesting conclusion, which is that specifically around that population, they don't see themselves as people who are capable of generating wealth, of employing more people. Like, that's not a vision that you would observe in this population. That's mostly because they lack that social, cultural and financial capital in Canada.”
Contrastingly, a review of the literature on visible minorities in entrepreneurship reveals that the Chinese population often seek entrepreneurship as a means of building generational wealth. Family businesses and the building of generational wealth are pivotal themes within their entrepreneurial journeys. This stark contrast with Black entrepreneurship underscores the diverse motivations and pathways that shape Canada's multifaceted entrepreneurial ecosystem. It also signals the need for more in depth research to make informed policy decisions which more accurately reflect the realities of being a Black entrepreneur.
The Immigrant Experience
With the Government of Canada’s push to welcome more immigration, what has become a common step to the Canadian dream is the narrative of the immigrant’s journey. This has also been reflected in the experiences of Black entrepreneurs who have travelled from their homelands in search of more opportunities in Canada. The research suggests that the pathways to immigration may also be affecting Black immigrants’ outlook on entrepreneurship. Those who immigrate to Canada as ‘skilled workers’, see themselves as just that, skilled workers. They immigrate to Canada with the outlook that there are more employment opportunities available to them here but then must also face the barriers to traditional employment, which eventually pushes them into entrepreneurship as a means of survival. Prateeksha notes, “Another thing that was pretty surprising for us and also very interesting for us as immigrants, was a lot of focus on surviving. ‘There were no jobs, so we started an enterprise…’ We had this long conversation with Doctor Phil… You don't leave your country and come to Canada just to survive…” However, the Alberta Hub team is surmising that the classification as skilled workers, may also have an impact on their self-perception as entrepreneurs, job creators and wealth generators.
Next steps
Despite the barriers that Black entrepreneurs face, not all of them are struggling. There are those who are also thriving in their domains. However, due to the lack of research on Black entrepreneurship, many of these stories are left untold and this too can have an impact on whether the Black community at large see themselves as wealth generators. Prateeksha highlights, “There is this entire aspect of striving, which should be focused on, like a lot of these endeavors are not just for survival, they're also for thriving, and that is something that newer studies and even newer policies should focus on.” Accordingly, further research is necessary to uncover the hidden triumphs of Black entrepreneurs, gain a better understanding of their pathways to success and inspire those who aspire to similar dreams.
As we await the full release of the scoping review's findings, these preliminary insights hint at a profound and thought-provoking narrative of entrepreneurship among Black communities in Canada. The insights garnered from this research illuminate the urgent necessity for increased awareness, support, and understanding of the challenges faced by Black entrepreneurs as contributors to the Canadian economy. The essential role of further research, delving into the lived experiences of Black entrepreneurs, cannot be overstated. Such research forms a crucial cornerstone in the effort to support Black entrepreneurship and break down the systemic barriers that impede the Black community’s pathway to progress.