Economic development is not just about new buildings or flashy investments — it’s about ensuring that the people who built our communities actually benefit from the growth happening all around us.
In Boston’s District 7 — encompassing Roxbury, parts of Dorchester, Fenway, and the South End — we see gleaming developments rising every day. Yet too often, longtime residents, Black and Brown entrepreneurs, and working families are locked out of the very opportunities sprouting up in their own backyards.
The wealth gap in Boston remains one of the worst in the nation, especially between Black and white households. In District 7, economic opportunity must be more than a talking point — it must be a deliberate, urgent mission.
The Bigger Picture: Federal and State Shifts in Economic Policy
At the federal level, recent policy changes have gutted many programs once designed to promote small business ownership, job training, and minority contracting. DEI dismantling has spilled over into economic initiatives, ending preference programs that helped historically marginalized entrepreneurs compete for government contracts and grants.
Meanwhile, state-level support has often been slow, bureaucratic, or insufficient for communities like ours. Without aggressive local action, District 7 risks being further left behind — as new wealth is created around us but not shared with us.
We are pleased to be able to support the local industry by growing our team to provide analytical testing services. – Mark Johnson
The Reality We Face
Without deliberate interventions:
Small businesses in District 7 struggle to access capital and compete with national chains.
Local hiring often bypasses our residents in favor of contractors from outside the community.
Wealth extraction continues as profits leave our neighborhoods and fail to circulate among our people.
Job training opportunities are mismatched with the future industries that are actually growing in Boston.
This isn’t just economic injustice — it’s a systematic dismantling of our ability to build generational wealth.
We must fight back with bold, visionary leadership.
What District 7 Must Do
District 7 must take direct, unapologetic action to put economic power back into the hands of our residents. Here’s what that looks like:
1. Grow and Protect Black-Owned, Immigrant-Owned, and Local Small Businesses
Establish a District 7 Small Business Fund providing low-interest loans, grants, and technical assistance.
Create incubators and co-working spaces specifically for minority and women-owned startups.
Offer “first look” city contracts to local businesses before opening bids citywide.
2. Invest in Career and Entrepreneurial Training
Launch free certification programs in high-demand industries like clean energy, biotech, healthcare, and tech — in partnership with local colleges and unions.
Build a District 7 Entrepreneur Academy to teach business development, marketing, financial management, and access to capital.
3. Implement Local Hiring Ordinances
Require that a significant percentage of jobs on city-funded projects be reserved for District 7 residents — especially in construction, tech, and public services.
4. Promote Community Wealth Building Models
Support the growth of worker-owned cooperatives, where employees have a stake in business profits.
Incentivize community land trusts and investment pools, so residents own real estate and commercial spaces rather than being displaced by outside investors.
5. Reclaim Public Spaces for Public Good
Prioritize public markets, affordable retail spaces, and pop-up venues for local vendors on city-owned land.
Transform underutilized city properties into business hubs for District 7 residents.
How Your City Councilor Will Lead
If elected, I will put economic justice at the core of my leadership for District 7.
Specifically, I will:
Pass legislation to create a District 7 Community Wealth Development Office dedicated solely to small business support, workforce development, and equitable contracting.
Fight to expand access to city contracts and procurement opportunities for local businesses.
Introduce local hiring laws tied to Boston-funded projects, ensuring our residents get priority for new jobs created.
Push for targeted investments in minority-owned startups and cooperatives as part of Boston’s larger economic development strategy.
Hold quarterly Economic Town Halls to listen directly to entrepreneurs, workers, and residents about their needs and ideas — and act on them.
Breaking It Down: District 7’s Path to Economic Power
| Action Area | Specific Initiatives |
|---|---|
| Small Business Growth | Loans, grants, technical assistance, city contract preference |
| Job Training | Free certification programs in high-demand fields |
| Local Hiring | Mandated hiring minimums for District 7 residents |
| Wealth Building | Support co-ops, land trusts, and ownership models |
| Entrepreneurship Support | Business academies, mentoring, access to capital |
Why It Matters: Beyond Statistics, Toward Justice
This fight is not just about numbers — it’s about our future.
It’s about the child in Roxbury who dreams of starting a tech company — but today, sees only barriers.
It’s about the immigrant family in Dorchester who owns a corner store but struggles to get a small business loan.
It’s about the tradesperson in the South End who can’t get hired on a construction site three blocks from their home.
It’s about ensuring that development in Fenway doesn’t just beautify the skyline, but uplifts every resident who calls this district home.
Economic justice is racial justice. Economic justice is housing justice. Economic justice is community safety. It’s all connected.
We cannot allow District 7 to remain a place where opportunity passes us by. We must build the engines of wealth right here, with our own hands, for our own people.
Building the Future We Deserve
District 7 is not asking for handouts.
We are demanding investment, dignity, and partnership.
We are demanding a seat at the table — and ownership of the table itself.
With bold leadership, committed action, and a vision rooted in justice, we will make District 7 a national model for community-driven economic transformation.
We have the power. We have the ideas. We have the people.
Now, we need leadership that’s ready to act.
Donate To My Campaign: Let’s build wealth. Let’s build power. Let’s build District 7 — for us, by us, with us.