Black El Paso Voice Celebrates Leaders
El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)-Each August, National Black Business Month directs attention to Black-owned businesses and the entrepreneurs who run them. According to Monica Tucker, this year, the Black El Paso Voice (BEPV) is bringing that national discussion local by using the month to pay tribute to local leaders, acknowledge its community partners, and launch new initiatives to strengthen Black-identifying entrepreneurship in the Borderland.
The Roots of National Black Business Month
National Black Business Month was started in August 2004 by Frederick E. Jordan Sr., an engineer from San Francisco, and John William Templeton, a historian and journalist. The motivation for the initiative came from Jordan's own difficulties in obtaining financing for his engineering company: it was to promote policy changes that affect the millions of African American businesses throughout the country, to bring to light the systemic obstacles that Black entrepreneurs encounter, and to urge consumers to direct their purchases to businesses that are owned by Black people. Now, more than twenty years on, the observance has grown into a nationwide movement supported by chambers of commerce, corporations, and community organizations across the country.
Bringing the Mission to El Paso
For Black El Paso Voice, National Black Business Month is not merely an occasion to celebrate but a call to action from the Borderland. On Saturday, August 8, 2026, BEPV held its Annual Business & Community Awards and Recognition Ceremony at the EPCC Auditorium, giving awards to 12 people in the Business category and 12 in the Community category, together with the sponsors, volunteers, and supporters who had helped make this year's Juneteenth El Paso celebration a success.
The most prestigious award of the evening, the Lifetime Achievement Award, was given to Dr. Adria Dunn-Harris, who is an educator, musician, and minister and who has spent 31 years in public education and 35 years as a violinist with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra, demonstrating a lifetime of service to both the arts and to students. This year's Teen of the Year, Regina Evelyn Daniel, a senior at Transmountain Early College High School, also delivered the evening's Keynote Speech.
Black El Paso Voice would like to extend its special thanks to City Representative Chris Canales for having the El Paso City Council present a proclamation recognizing the ceremony and the community it celebrates.
The evening also included three surprise awards, kept secret until the night of the ceremony. The John and Mary Woods Pinnacle Award, given to Citizens of the Year, was awarded to Anthony and Susan Floyd from Fa Sho BBQ Catering in recognition of their work and dedication to both their business and their community. Gregg D. Davis was named Man of the Year and Jill Strickland was named Woman of the Year; both have been chosen as honorees for the 2027 Black Hall of Fame, taking place in January.
For a full list of this year's recipients, see https://blackelpasovoice.com/2026business | https://blackelpasovoice.com/2026community.
