GREENVILLE, Miss. (WJTV) – On Friday, April 1, Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Greenville, Mississippi, to highlight the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to supporting and uplifting America’s small businesses.
She was joined by Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). Prior to delivering remarks, the Vice President visited a local small business, Joycee’s Fabrics and Sewing Center.
In her speech, she emphasized the importance of investments in economic development in underserved communities like Greenville.
“And people who live in rural communities often lack access to traditional banking services of any kind. This includes many Native Americans and, here in the Mississippi Delta, many Black folks. And so, let us acknowledge also that while they play an important role in the growth of our economy, traditional banks have not always seen the vision of small-business owners of color, small-business owners who are women, small-business owners who live in rural areas, and small-business owners who serve low-income communities,” said Vice President Kamala Harris.
While the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $110 billion to repair the nation’s roads and bridges, to help customers and employees better access small businesses and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $65 billion to provide affordable high-speed Internet, Vice President Kamala Harris said investing in small businesses is next on the agenda.
“Small businesses need to reach their customers. They need to buy supplies, even run their cash register. And all of that will be helped by having access to high-speed Internet. And so, we are fighting every day to ensure that small businesses have access to capital and the banking services they need to thrive.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also noted that Mississippi has one of the highest concentrations of community lenders of any state, with more than 100 Community Development Financial Institutions — holding assets of over $35 billion.