Writing in the Nonprofit Quarterly, Steve Dubb reports on effects by Durham, North Carolina, to preserve its businesses currently owned by African Americans. The director of Durham’s office of economic and workforce development, Andre Pettigrew, says “After the recession, a lot of individual wealth was wiped out, especially in the African American community, where most of the wealth was in our homes… They say the first path to increasing wealth is home ownership—and right after that is being a business owner.”

Durham is one of four cities participating in the Shared Equity in Economic Development (SEED) Fellowship, developed by the National League of Cities and the Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI).