JESSUP, MD / ACCESS Newswire / October 13, 2025 / What started as a simple online directory of Black-owned businesses has become something far greater: a movement. The Blacklining, founded by Dr. Rachel Bonaparte, is a growing digital ecosystem reshaping how Black entrepreneurs connect, collaborate, and claim economic power.
At its heart, The Blacklining is not just a platform; it's a declaration. It challenges the quiet persistence of systemic exclusion; the "invisible lines" that have long limited access to capital and opportunity. For generations, Black founders have built against the odds, often with less than two percent of national venture capital funding to back them. The Blacklining's mission is simple yet revolutionary: to redraw those lines from barriers into bridges.
Building a Future That Includes Everyone
Through its digital hub, The Blacklining brings together business owners, creators, and professionals across industries. The platform's structure is both practical and visionary; meeting real needs while nurturing long-term resilience:
Find and Support: A live, ever-expanding directory where users can discover and support Black-owned businesses; from tech firms and contractors to restaurants and creative studios.
Learn and Grow: Free, accessible workshops that translate the language of finance; credit, investment, wealth building; into real-world empowerment.
Connect and Collaborate: A private network where entrepreneurs share projects, referrals, and partnerships. A caterer meets an event planner. A developer teams up with a designer. The community becomes an economy.
Increase Visibility: Marketing and advertising tools that let small businesses compete on equal footing, supported by data-driven outreach and digital campaign guidance.
"Too often, Black entrepreneurs encounter systemic barriers to funding and visibility," said Dr. Rachel Bonaparte, founder of The Blacklining. "This isn't just about listing businesses; it's about building a living, breathing ecosystem of ownership, empowerment, and collaboration."
The Momentum Is Real
Since its soft launch, The Blacklining has drawn early support from major organizations, including Warner Bros. and Feeding America, both of which recognize the project's potential to drive structural change through commerce.
Independent creators across the country are already feeling the difference. In Chicago, a designer who joined The Blacklining reports that the platform "put my work in front of people who never would have found me otherwise." A Maryland-based wellness coach says it helped her grow clientele and find mentorship.
Each story echoes the same theme: connection replacing isolation; opportunity replacing silence.
A Vision That Extends Beyond Commerce
The Blacklining's next phase is already in motion. A forthcoming mobile app will place resources directly into users' hands, alongside mentorship programs pairing new entrepreneurs with seasoned professionals. The initiative also plans multilingual accessibility; Swahili, Haitian Creole, and French; to better serve the global African Diaspora.
"Our goal is not growth for its own sake," Dr. Bonaparte explained. "It's about creating durable systems of ownership and wealth that can withstand economic shifts. It's about rewriting the narrative of access."
Why It Matters Now
The launch arrives amid ongoing national conversations about equity in technology, finance, and justice. Research continues to expose the disproportionate impact of systemic bias; from sentencing disparities to wage stagnation and limited credit access.
By focusing on community-based wealth creation, The Blacklining stands as both a practical tool and a form of quiet resistance. It transforms data into dignity, turning collective frustration into coordinated action.
About The Blacklining
The Blacklining is a national initiative dedicated to building economic power within Black communities through digital tools, financial education, and collaborative networking. Founded by Dr. Rachel Bonaparte, the organization is headquartered in Chicago, IL, serving members throughout the United States and beyond.
About Dr. Rachel Bonaparte
Category |
Role / Achievement |
Organization / Context |
Current Leadership Role |
Associate Vice President for Teaching, Learning, and Student Success |
Prince George's Community College |
Entrepreneurial Venture |
Founder of The Blacklining |
A "full-spectrum platform" dedicated to economic sovereignty for Black entrepreneurs. |
Key Academic Role |
Department Chair (ELAP, Linguistics, & Communication Studies) |
Montgomery College (Rockville Campus, starting 2018) |
Major Educational Degrees |
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education) |
Delaware State University |
|
M.Ed. (Master of Education) |
Widener University |
|
M.A. (Master of Arts) |
Miami University (Thesis: Representation of African American Youth in Menace II Society) |
|
B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) |
Temple University |
Notable Honors/Service |
Fulbright Scholar |
Academic Recognition |
|
Co-chair of Collegewide Faculty Council (2022-2024) |
Montgomery College |
|
Chair of the President's Advisory Committee on Equity and Inclusion (PACEI) (2020-2022) |
Montgomery College |
Past Teaching Experience |
Full-time Instructor (starting 2014); Adjunct (starting 2013) |
Communication Studies, Montgomery College |
Key Sources
Claim / Statistic |
Source |
Link |
Black founders receive less than 2% of U.S. VC funding |
Crunchbase (2023) "Black and Latino Founders Still Received Just 2% of VC Dollars in 2022" |
https://news.crunchbase.com/diversity/black-latino-vc-funding-2022/ |
1 in 3 Black men will go to prison in their lifetime |
The Sentencing Project |
https://www.sentencingproject.org/reports/trends-in-u-s-corrections/ |
While 30% of the U.S. population, Black Americans make up 60% of those imprisoned |
NAACP Criminal Justice Fact Sheet |
|
Black offenders receive sentences 10% longer than white offenders |
U.S. Sentencing Commission |
https://www.ussc.gov/research/research-reports/demographic-differences-sentencing |
Black women are 3× more likely to be incarcerated than white women |
Bureau of Justice Statistics |
|
Black children represent over 70% of school arrests |
U.S. Dept. of Education, Civil Rights Data Collection |
|
1 in every 15 Black men is behind bars vs 1 in 106 white men |
Bureau of Justice Statistics |
|
Black Americans = 14% of drug users but 37% of drug arrests |
ACLU "War on Marijuana in Black and White" |
https://www.aclu.org/report/report-war-marijuana-black-and-white |
13% of Black men are denied the right to vote due to felony laws |
The Sentencing Project |
|
Wages of Black ex-convicts grow 21% slower than white ex-convicts |
Prison Policy Initiative |
Disclaimer
This release has been authored and distributed by Evrima Chicago, LLC, the official editorial and media representative for Dr. Rachel Bonaparte and The Blacklining.
Evrima Chicago fully supports and endorses the mission, vision, and statements expressed herein. The content reflects the values and commitments of The Blacklining project and has been prepared in collaboration with its leadership team to ensure accuracy, clarity, and integrity.
Our role is not only to communicate but to amplify; to ensure that this initiative receives the visibility and recognition it deserves. As such, Evrima Chicago affirms the importance of The Blacklining as a vital contribution to economic empowerment and community transformation.
PR & Media Contact
Kyle Thompson
Team PR
Evrima Chicago, LLC
PR@EvrimaChicago.com
For interviews, tips and information, contact Waa Say - waasay@evrimachicago.com
© 2025 Evrima Chicago. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
SOURCE: Evrima Chicago, LLC
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