Growing up in a small town in New Jersey in the 50s I remember my local grocer/butcher was a five minute walk away. It was owned by an African American navy veteran and his wife. As a teen, I even worked there for several years. There was a small restaurant that was black owned and there were several tradespeople who had their own businesses, as well as a few truckers. The store and the restaurant were patronized by mainly local people from the Black neighborhood. The tradespeople and the truckers also had white clientele. As the years went by the owners of the restaurant and the grocery store retired and their businesses retired with them and nearby super markets and mini malls or strip malls took up the slack. In fact I remember we had to boycott the nearest supermarket before they decided to hire any Black employees. The tradespeople likewise retired and their businesses also retired with them. Along with these businesses the jobs that they provided were gone. There are still a few tradespeople and some people I know have unsucessfully tried to start up a business because they just couldn't seem to get the support of the community. As more time went by the malls, then the big box stores just seemed to take over. Leaving mainly barbers and hairdressers and a few independent truckers. I didn't experience life in the south but I understand the experience was a little different. I'd be glad to hear from you if you want to comment.
This post is about a couple who want to bring attention to the need for us Black folks to create and support local businesses in order to stimulate employment and maintain some of the wealth inside our communities.
Empowerment Experiment.
One Family attempts to "Buy Black" for a year.
Support Black Business
Read this article on National Black Business Month
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