Five Miami business owners awarded grants

Five local Black-owned businesses each received $10,000 Tuesday as part of The Black Innovation Alliance's "Believe in You" grant.

• The entrepreneurs behind Smith and Webster Restaurant and Bar, Rosie's Miami, World Famous House of Mac, Lil Greenhouse Grill and House of Wings were surprised throughout the day with the award.

Why it matters: The grants are meant to counter legislation that "has drained resources from the Black entrepreneurial ecosystem" and left Black businesses "scrambling" for resources, according to the organization, which is dedicated to closing the racial wealth gap.

The big picture: The award comes during the alliance's annual Sustainability Summit, which is about "forging a path forward toward equity in the midst of an assault on affirmative action, DEI, and Black entrepreneurship at large," said Alliance CEO Kelly Burton in a news release.

Context: Florida lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis have assailed DEI programs in business and education, including through the law dubbed the Stop WOKE Act, which sought to limit workplace discussions of diversity and race.

• The portions of the law that applied to businesses have been repeatedly ruled unconstitutional .

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