OP-ED:
Black Businesses Deserve a Place in the Economic Opportunities Created by the NFL Draft
By William B. Marshall, Stop the Violence Pittsburgh

In April, more than 500,000 people are expected to come to Pittsburgh for the 2026 NFL Draft. The event is projected to generate between $120 million and $213 million in economic impact for our region. Hotels will be full. Restaurants will be busy. Corporations will make money. The NFL will make money. The city will benefit from national attention and economic activity.

The question is simple: Will Black businesses in Pittsburgh be allowed to participate in the economic opportunities created in our own city?

I am speaking on behalf of more than 100 Black business owners in Pittsburgh who have been trying to participate in vendor opportunities, small business events, and economic activities connected to the NFL Draft. Many of these businesses are local entrepreneurs, small business owners, and community leaders who have invested in this city for years. Yet many of us have found ourselves locked out of meaningful economic participation tied to one of the largest events Pittsburgh has ever hosted.

This issue cannot be separated from the broader economic reality facing many Black residents and Black business owners in Pittsburgh. For decades, Black communities in Pittsburgh have faced economic disparities, barriers to business development, lack of access to capital, and the loss of Black-owned businesses and business districts due to development and urban renewal projects. Access to contracts, vendor opportunities, and business participation is not just about making money during one weekend. It is about building businesses, creating jobs, building generational wealth, and investing back into our communities.

That is why access to economic opportunities tied to major events like the NFL Draft matters so much.

I proposed an event called the Pittsburgh Draft Bash Small Business Showcase, which would have provided space for Black-owned businesses to sell products, promote services, and participate in the economic activity surrounding the Draft. Instead of receiving a clear approval or denial, the permit process has stalled while time continues to run out before the event.

This issue is bigger than one event or one permit. This is about economic inclusion, economic justice, and whether Black businesses are going to be allowed to participate in the economic opportunities that come into our city when major events are hosted here.

The NFL benefits from Black talent on the field, Black fans in the stands, and Black consumer spending across the country. Cities like Pittsburgh provide public infrastructure, public safety, and public resources to host these events. When hundreds of millions of dollars are generated, Black businesses should not be standing on the sidelines watching everyone else profit in our own city.

If Black talent helps build the NFL, Black fans help fund the NFL, and Black cities host NFL events, then Black businesses must be included in the economic opportunities created by the NFL.

We are not asking for favors. We are asking for fair access. We are asking for transparency. We are asking for equitable participation. We are asking for the NFL and the City of Pittsburgh to release the numbers on how many Black-owned businesses are participating in Draft-related contracts, vendor opportunities, and economic activities. If there is nothing to hide, then release the numbers.

Economic opportunity is a civil rights issue in 2026. Access to contracts, vendor opportunities, and business participation is how communities build wealth, create jobs, and strengthen neighborhoods. When Black businesses are excluded from major economic opportunities tied to publicly supported events, it raises serious questions about equity and access in our city.

This is not just about the NFL Draft. This is about the future of economic inclusion in Pittsburgh. Every time a major event comes to our city, the same question should be asked: Who benefits, and who is left out?

Black businesses are not asking to be given anything. We are asking to be included in the economic opportunities that come into our city. We are asking for transparency, fairness, and access.

Because economic opportunity should not depend on who you know, who you are connected to, or what neighborhood you come from. Economic opportunity should be available to everyone in the city that is hosting the event.

If Pittsburgh is going to grow, then everyone must have a chance to grow with it.