Wells Fargo is proud of its history in many respects, not the least of which is diversity. Our Chairman of the Board, Dick Kovacevich, says that our commitment to diversity makes Wells Fargo a better, stronger company. Diversity is who we are and has become an everyday part of our culture.

Brenda Ross-Dulan blogs today about Wells Fargo's announcement last week that demonstrates how our tradition of diversity remains as strong as ever. (CR)

As national spokeswoman for Wells Fargo's African American Business Services, I am always proud to represent the great strides Wells Fargo has taken to support the African American business community. This month, my role as spokesperson holds a special significance for me. Just recently, I had the privilege to announce that Wells Fargo has reached its goal, set in 1998, to lend $1 billion to African American business owners nationwide by 2010. That's right — we accomplished this goal two years early!

Reaching this significant lending milestone is a testament to the entrepreneurial vision and success of African American business owners. The African American business community is showing significant growth. In fact, according to the most recent (2002) U.S. Census data , there are more than one million African American-owned businesses in the U.S., a 45 percent increase over the 1997 census figure — that's four times the national average!

Wells Fargo is committed to supporting this growth by sponsoring African American organizations and activities in the communities it serves. Over the past ten years, the Wells Fargo Foundation has given more than $38 million to community organizations throughout the nation that serve African Americans.

Black History Month   is an opportune time to recognize the achievements of African American business owners — but this success extends far beyond the month of February. As we continue into 2008, Wells Fargo will be setting a new goal for African American business lending and we are excited to continue our long-term support of this important segment.

African American Business Services provides outreach and education to African American business owners through resources including workshops, seminars, tradeshows, and regional and national alliances. We maintain close relationships with national organizations including the National Black Chamber of Commerce , 100 Black Men of America  and the National Black MBA Association  (NBMBAA). As America's #1 small business lender, Wells Fargo has loaned close to $35 billion to women, African American, Latino and Asian business owners since 1995.