Last week was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and I had Bishop Harry Jackson on my radio program. One of the topics we discussed surrounded his column on the “Recipe for Minority Success.”

Everyone is experiencing tough economic times, but the greatest hardship seems to be falling on the African-American community. The African-American unemployment rate remains a shocking 13 percent. In fact the black unemployment rate in America is twice that of whites, and nearly three times that of Asians. Black homeownership is the lowest in almost 20 years. Those are just a few of the sobering statistics that remind us that there is much to do if we are to achieve minority success.

Bishop Harry Jackson believes we need to return to the tradition of black entrepreneurship, and give some encouraging examples from history. Sadly, when we think of minority-owned businesses today, he says, we tend to picture immigrants (Latino or Asian). One study of race and entrepreneurial success found that stereotype to be true. Black business ownership is far lower than the national average.

There are some things that the government can do to encourage entrepreneurship in the black community. In the past, Representative Jack Kemp proposed enterprise zones where tax benefits would be given to start-up businesses. Senator Rand Paul has proposed something similar to revitalize Detroit. The capital-gains tax would be suspended for new ventures. An income tax break might be available for the new employees of new companies. Property taxes might be waved.

The church and Christian ministries can also have an important role. Bishop Harry Jackson talked about some of the programs his church and others have developed. I would add that it is important that pastors and church leaders promote the importance of marriage and family. In a recent commentary, I talked about how marriage is a key element in preventing poverty.

There are lots of ingredients in the recipe for minority success. It is past time for us to pursue programs in government and the church to address poverty.