Grants available for black businesses along Route 66 in Illinois

Black businesses along Route 66 have a unique opportunity to receive thousands in grants to start or grow their businesses.

The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership, a coalition of state Route 66 associations, is providing $50,000 in direct grants to support Black-owned or operated businesses and attractions, as well as research and programs along the historic road.

“We always hope to spread the word so more people have the opportunity to apply,” said Bill Thomas, chairman of Route 66 Ahead. “It's not just about preserving the history of Route 66, but it's also an opportunity to encourage the preservation of the businesses that are already here.”

The Road Ahead received $250,000 from American Express to award direct grants as part of the historic route's 100th anniversary. The $250,000 lump sum was divided to cover annual grant rounds that began in 2022 and will run through 2026.

This year, ten awards of up to $5,000 each are available to Black businesses that meet the eligibility requirements and fulfill the intent behind them.

Eligible companies must:

At least 51% of businesses are black-owned and operated.
Physically located on Route 66 or in a nearby community.
Employ fewer than 20 full-time employees.
Are a registered company with good reputation in the state.
Be a locally owned and operated franchise with fewer than five locations.

Applications for the grant must be submitted by July 14 through the Black Experiences Grant Program at roadahead.route66centennial.org.

More: Meet the man who wants to help Illinois residents better understand Native American culture

The Road Ahead grants have already impacted Springfield. In 2022, the Route History Museum in East Cook received funding from the partnership. The funds paved the way for the museum's virtual reality showcasing the Black experience on the road.

“We received this grant from The Road Ahead to actually be able to provide T-shirts,” said Stacy Grundy, co-CEO of Route History. “To pay staff to work in community organizations – and train kids to become junior historians.”

Two years ago, Route 66 awarded Road Ahead a $7,500 grant for the Route 66 Junior Historian Project with Route History. The year-long project aimed to provide school classes with paper and pencil lessons to help black Americans and guides like the Green Book better understand the history of the route.

Route History was founded in 2019 and aims to tell the stories of black travellers on the road across the continent.

“Many blacks drove along Route 66 and were part of the great migration when millions of blacks left the South to go to the North to find different jobs,” Grundy said. “We started developing the Junior Historian program because we were responding to a lot of history knowledge that people didn't yet have and really wanted to educate the youth.”

After the program was completed, Route History partnered with the City of Springfield to create a virtual reality experience for all ages using VR headsets that allowed people to sit behind the wheel on the road during the Jim Crow era and better understand the issues faced by black people during that time.

The Chicago-California road that runs through Springfield is still in operation and will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026. The Black Experiences Scholarship is just one of many scholarships that help businesses succeed. Other scholarships, such as the Extraordinary Women Micro Scholarship and the Economic Development Scholarship, both offer several thousand dollars in prize money.

Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for The State Journal-Register. Reach her at [email protected]; and on X (formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted

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Grants available for black businesses along Route 66 in Illinois

Eligible companies must:

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Eligible companies must:

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