HARRISBURG — The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is ranked sixth in the annual Black Business Affinity Index in ReUNION: State of Black Business, 22d edition, released June 27.

Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, Speaker Jessica McClintock and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker join Gov. Josh Shapiro in an unprecedented focus on economic inclusion.

ReUNION reports in its Pennsylvania section that more than $130 million was spent by the Commonwealth with Black contactors in the most recent reporting year.

Davis, McClintock and Parker are all firsts in their positions.

Parker, who leads the nation’s fifth largest city, has put the Turn The Key program “on steroids” selling city owned land inexpensively to homebuilders.  A third of the projects have gone to Black developers, some trained through the Philadelphia Housing Development Corp. and its Minority Developer Program.

Clintock is active in the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, which has a top priority of: “Supporting Black-owned businesses is a key economic priority for the PLBC, with a focus on equitable procurement practices. The agenda includes legislation to mandate state agencies to allocate a specific percentage of contracts to minority-owned enterprises. These measures aim to address systemic inequities in access to government contracts and foster economic growth in Black communities. Additionally, the caucus advocates for increased funding for small business development programs, technical assistance, and mentorship opportunities to empower Black entrepreneurs.