Why Supporting Black-Owned Businesses is Still Important Today

Supporting black businesses is still important today as it was when the idea was first conceived. But it must be navigated today in a way that’s a little bit different than in days past.

The reason why supporting black businesses is important is because of the idea of circling an economic dollar through the community. The message by black-owned businesses is very similar to the same concept of the Green Book, the guide for Black travelers seeking hotels, restaurants, and merchants friendly to Black consumers without racial harassment. It gave black consumers an idea of where to shop and who to stop with that had the community’s best interest in support. Both the green book and the concept of buying from black businesses came up during a time of segregation. Obviously, we’re not in segregated times anymore so why is it still important today?

The answer lies in two trends, one on economic development and one regarding where resources are. Economic development and traditional black neighborhoods have not kept pace with economic growth within the United States.

A second trend is that as the black population has grown, the spread of the population has changed. The number of areas where people of color reside has increased overall. For Black consumers, this has created a new challenge: Sometimes a “black-owned business” is not in a traditionally black neighborhood yet it still needs to connect to African American consumers and those who will support it. The…