EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS

‘We rally to help each other’

BY CASSIUS SHUMAN | Shuman@PBN.com

(Editor’s note: This is the 14th installment in a monthly series speaking with minority business owners and leaders. Each is asked their views on minority-business conditions in the state and for ways to improve those businesses’ chances for success.)

RoseMarie Clemente’s ascent to owner of a real estate agency was set in motion by seeing her hardworking immigrant father work a variety of jobs while buying, fixing and selling homes in East Providence with the aid of friends in the Portuguese community.

“They were flipping houses before flipping houses was popular,” she said.

Clemente, a first-generation Portuguese American, started working at age 14 cold-calling potential customers to sell vacuums at an appliance store in East Providence. That early experience in customer service built a foundation for her real estate career.

Clemente transitioned into real estate, working for Yorktown Realty in the Rumford section of East Providence, where she sold residential properties for a few years. In 2006, she felt confident in opening her own agency, Baron & Clemente Real Estate LLC, using “Baron” as an homage to a business mentor of her father’s.

The agency, based in East Providence, represents buyers and sellers of residential and commercial properties.

Clemente says incidents of discrimination she faced as a child fueled her desire to succeed in life. As a youngster, she was called a racial slur and, in one case, was ostracized by three white boys in the East Providence middle-class neighborhood where she was raised. They singled her out at the local school bus stop because of her Portuguese descent, refusing to allow her to join other children seeking shelter in a nearby garage.

It’s an experience that still brings her to tears, but she credits her father with giving her the strength to overcome it – a strength she still uses. “When I started my own business, I was afraid, but … I pushed through the adversity,” she said.

All people of Portuguese origin or culture are considered minorities under Rhode Island’s Minority or Women Business Enterprise program, which gives businesses owned by minorities and women special consideration in state contracting matters. Clemente opposed an attempt in 2020 by state Rep. Anastasia P. Williams, D-Providence, to remove Portuguese from the minority category. The legislation failed.

“You do not move ... minorities forward by disbanding other minorities. And that’s what she was trying to do,” Clemente said. “She was trying to say Portuguese people are not a minority. They are a minority.

“You don’t do that,” she added. “You bring people together, and move people forward who have not had the opportunities that other people have had.”

Clemente’s parents arrived in the U.S. in the 1950s from the Azores, and she said they worked hard to provide for their family. Her father worked three factory jobs when she was growing up, including at the former American Insulated Wire Corp. in Pawtucket. He eventually opened his own meat market and painting business. “He was an extremely hard worker,” she said.

Her mom worked as a seamstress at a Warren clothing manufacturer and, on weekends, earned extra income as a tailor. “I never throw a penny away because they came to this country and didn’t have anything,” Clemente said. “I don’t even think my dad had change in his pocket.”

RoseMarie Clemente

Baron & Clemente Real Estate LLC

STATUS QUO: RoseMarie Clemente, owner of Baron & Clemente Real Estate LLC, says she opposes any effort to remove Portuguese from the list of qualifying origins for the state’s Minority or Women Enterprise Business program.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

1Do you believe racism is keeping minorities from starting businesses in the Ocean State or succeeding when they do? Throughout my career in real estate, I’ve come across a number of smart, talented and energetic minority individuals serious about starting a business but sometimes hesitant because they are not aware of several excellent programs being offered that would provide assistance. Frankly, while not diminishing the discriminating pressures we minorities have felt over time, I do know that there are more avenues today offering assistance to various minority populations within the Ocean State. So, while there are the daily challenges we face, business owners should focus on what is needed to be successful.

2How dependent is your business on the support of other minority groups? Is that a sustainable business model? For me and my business, I value everyone; equality and diversity, well-being and community are important to me; fair operating practices and transparency are paramount to a successful business. Rhode Island has been blessed with a very diverse population. That said, I have been successful in part because of the diversity within my marketplace. I also grew up with a father who brought the community together to accomplish a goal, such as building a house or renovating a property. The Portuguese community is always really productive in that way, as we rally to help each other in times of need.

3What one thing could Rhode Island do to boost the odds for minority-owned business success? I think Rhode Island is moving in the right direction. Recently the administration of Gov. Daniel J. McKee, along with the not-for-profit Rhode Island Foundation, launched a $150,000 study to figure out ways to promote, support and grow minority-owned businesses. There are several programs minority-owned businesses can turn to for assistance. An excellent example, there is the Minority Business Enterprise Compliance [Office], the U.S. Small Business Administration, the R.I. Office of Diversity, Equity & Opportunity, the Center for Women & Enterprise and The Portuguese American Leadership Council of the United States. In effect, Rhode Island could pump up the volume, if you will, by promoting these areas more aggressively. There are talented minority individuals around us that may not be aware of these avenues of assistance.

4Have you had to turn to an entity other than a bank for a loan? Do you believe the state’s lending institutions generally treat minorities fairly? I have never had to turn to a nonbank lending source. In Rhode Island, we are fortunate to have a diverse selection of banking institutions committed to providing fair financing assistance to minority-owned businesses.

5If another minority entrepreneur asked you where they could turn for support for their business, where would you direct them? I would direct them to the programs I mentioned that are offered by the state. Any of those programs will afford talented entrepreneurs interested in operating a small business clear and concise assistance. One thing we all should never lose sight of: Rhode Island is economically driven by small businesses. It’s in our state’s best interest to ensure everyone, regardless of race, has equal opportunity. n