ABC News, June 19, 2020: Black-owned businesses see outpouring of support amid George Floyd protests
In the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing and the subsequent protests, many Black-owned businesses like Brown’s are seeing a wave of support and a much more diverse customer base.
“White people, they’re saying, ‘I’ve been searching for Black-owned businesses to support, I want to make sure your doors stay open,'” Brown continued. “Normally, it’s like, ‘Hi, how are you?’ Nothing deep, but now they’re being very intentional and telling you why they’re there and why they think it’s important for Black businesses to get the support they need.”
Borne partly out of necessity and partly out of a desire to be self-sufficient, the legacy of support of Black-owned businesses by Black people is nothing new.
“In the past, within the Black community, it was, ‘Let’s grow our own and so we support each other, and then this is how we bring the community together and move forward,'” said Kathryn Orr, director of entrepreneurship at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition.
