Many Black business owners, like Brandi and Jermail Shelton of Philadelphia, have seen profits shrink due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic shutdown. Now, just as some states were beginning to re-open and start curbside pickup and take-home orders, the righteous anger of Black America at yet another cruel police murder is erupting in cities worldwide, and many businesses are again closing their doors.
"Everything is zero, except for the website," explained Brandi in the Philadelphia Tribune.
“We were supposed to be opening this week,” said Romeo Gerson, a co-owner of Michael’s Soul Kitchen in Indianapolis, which was damaged in protests against police oppression. Still, he supports the protests, and notes that the local community is helping him rebuild, reports WISH. “We’ll just move forward,” he said.
But how to do so isn’t always clear, and intentional actions from consumers may make the difference.
The Financial Times reports that the pandemic may permanently change the way Americans shop, by moving many purchases online. Online shopping has blown up in recent months - Amazon has seen incredible profits this quarter, for example.
Many local Black-owned businesses, however, are scrambling to get online presences set up so that they can still serve their customers. For businesses like Black-owned bookstores, already in decline before the pandemic, it’s not possible to compete against a giant like Amazon.
So some Black-owned businesses are figuring out alternative ways to stay afloat.
“[Black bookstores] are getting creative,” explains USA Today. “They’re applying for disaster loans. Those with fledgling e-commerce operations are racing to fortify them. They’re banding together to put on virtual events. And they're turning to the communities they serve for a helping hand.”
While that creativity can mean additional, diverse revenue streams for Black-owned businesses, it appears to be in consumers’ hands whether they will survive. Consumers must make the effort to seek them out rather than support more convenient businesses like Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Target.
That being said, it’s easier than ever to support Black-owned businesses from home, especially since online shopping has become a necessity.
Websites like ShoppeBlack and WeBuyBlack have links to hundreds of Black-owned businesses, and Where U Came From has an app with the same purpose. Afrotech has a list of 10 Black-owned bookstores consumers can support online while they remain closed.
Even mainstream publications like Glamour and Refinery29 have posted articles linking to Black-owned businesses to support during this crisis.
Some business owners are going a step further and calling on major corporations like Whole Foods to source at least 15% of their goods from Black-owned merchandisers, calling it the 15% Pledge.
Black-owned businesses are often crucial resources for the communities in which they reside - but despite this, they often face incredible hurdles and challenges even in the best of times. Whether they will survive the current economic and social crisis will depend on their entrepreneurial creativity - and the intentional support of consumers.