By Segun Idowu, Special to the Reporter May 26, 2021 Segun Idowu, Special to the Reporter In 2020, a Black community in Massachusetts that was on the rise got hit with increased public health, economic, and social challenges related to the Covid-19 pandemic and racial reckoning during the summer. These events, compounded by existing health disparities and a growing wealth gap, proved to be devastating to the growth of Black communities. If left unaddressed by urgent and bold action, the long-term effects will not just harm Black people, but also the well-being of other communities overall. We know that these disparities aren’t new. In 2015, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston published its damning “Color of Wealth” report that highlighted Boston’s yawning racial wealth gap. Additional reports by groups like the Coalition for an Equitable Economy have reinforced the fact that entrepreneurs of color continue to face barriers, whether it be the dispersal of needed capital to grow their business or access to contracts to sustain them.