Ryan Wilson, Lakeysha Hallmon Host Economic Freedom Talks for Harris-Waltz Campaign

Just a few weeks ahead of the 2024 presidential showdown, as political and celebrity heavyweights make clear their support for a Harris administration, Ryan Wilson of the Gathering Spot, Lakeysha Hallmon, founder and CEO of the Village Market and Atlanta community organizer Scotty Smart spoke exclusively with the Atlanta Daily World regarding their involvement in a dynamic series of discussions spearheaded by the Harris-Walz ticket to focus on their plans for small and minority businesses.

Wilson and Hallmon, co-organizers of the Economic Freedom Talks series provided Atlantans an opportunity to take part in a rolling conversation occurring in cities across the country. Social social media influencer and founder of the Good People Party, Lynee Vanee, iconic civil rights activist and former NAACP president Ben Jealous, and Zak Wallace of Local Green Atlanta to discuss and emphasize the importance of improved access to opportunities in minority economies.

The event was moderated by political strategist Eleina Raines.

The Gathering Spot, a nationally recognized venue for the thoughtful and robust exchange of information has hosted both President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in years prior.

“The education that [the Harris campaign] is talking about is incredibly important. This is a turnout election. So the thing that people need to be focused on right now, with days left, not weeks, not months, is that we have to make sure that we make a plan to vote and that we are encouraging other people to get out and exercise their right. There’s still time to talk to folks about what’s at stake,” Wilson explained. “But there’s also a time where that transitions into direct action, so that’s what [we’re doing]. We’re talking about what matters and why it matters, and we go deep into the policy that is on the table. We’re going to ask folks to make sure that they go and actually act upon what they learn.”

Hallmon, since founding The Village Market in 2016, has served over 1,440 businesses and facilitated $8.3 million in direct sales to Black-owned enterprises. Her innovative “Village Model” integrates grants, mentorship, technical assistance, and a retail platform, setting a new standard for Black-owned business success.

“I’ve dedicated my life to empowering small business owners to transform their dreams into reality, and I’ve seen firsthand the work Vice President Harris has done to ensure the voices of our community are heard,” Hallmon shared. “The Harris-Walz ticket reflects this same commitment to entrepreneurs and our community. With their leadership, we will see a future where businesses aren’t just sustained—they are flourishing, building generational wealth and economic resilience.”

The Harris-Walz Plan for Small Businesses includes:

• A ten-fold expansion of the tax deduction for new small businesses, offering a $50,000 deduction for startups.
• 25 million new small business applications by the end of Vice President Harris’ first year in office.
• Streamlined regulatory processes to remove barriers and empower entrepreneurs to start, scale, and thrive.

“I think the good news here is that the Vice President has put policy proposals on the table that are directly pointed at the needs of small business owners. So the tax exemption that’s moving from $5,000 to $50,000 and the goal of creating a million businesses started by black men, eliminating red tape, are policy proposals that are being discussed right now,” explains Wilson. “But another thing that has to be stressed, the Vice President is also not new to this issue. I mean, I had the privilege of meeting with her on her second day in office years ago. The topic of that conversation was about small business. So she’s not new to the discussion at all, but she is listening to what is happening in those discussions and developing real policy proposals that are going to make a difference,” Vice President Harris spoke at the Gathering Spot earlier this year to address those same issues and others pertinent to elevating Black economies.

Smart, a savvy community organizer added that political education is key in the 2024 election and implementing strategies for economic equity and equality. “I think not too many of us understand what politics really is, and we don’t have an in-depth conversation just beyond the presidency and whose job it is to do what. I mean, to be informed and how do we hold each official accountable? I think we have to do a better job of political education … political ignorance is killing our society.

“It’s like a popularity contest, but it’s not fun and games right now, right? It’s time to have a strategy and take the emotional aspects of it. If you really put two people’s resumes side by side and really look at their criteria, and even if you look at the measure of character of a person, what does leadership look like for you,” Smart asked, adding, “For me, it’s really hard to understand how you can follow someone that has to belittle everybody, every single day of their lives, to make themselves feel better, to look to be uplifted as a leader. I don’t see how that connects with a lot of people, but again, we have half of a country that does side that way. But we need to look at character and also understand the valuation of politics. 

As part of the Economic Freedom Talks, the Harris-Walz campaign awarded Bunnie Hilliard of Barve and Kind Books a $10,000 Foundation Grant. The campaign’s Foundation Grants are awarded to select small businesses in each city. These grants are aimed at supporting businesses that are committed to empowering their local communities and driving positive change.

The Economic Freedom Talks are taking place in key battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and Georgia.