African American Business: Do We Really Care

Another good piece written by Worlee Glover over at Nextdoor:

• There have been several comments making the suggestion that the community decide to use restrictive covenants on the sale on business/commercial properties in our community. A restrictive covenant restricts a certain demographic from purchasing property in the community.
  
  If you follow the paper trail of some properties in Chatham, Beverly and other communities there are documents that contain the language that the sale of the property to Negros(African Americans) is forbidden. Almost 50 years ago the federal courts struck down restrictive covenants and introduced fair housing laws ans well as other real estate laws that made restrictive covenants unenforceable. 
  
  Men such as Marion Manor(Manor Realty), Vernon Jarrett and other African American real estate professionals from this community were on the forefront of the movement. They started an organization called the Dearborn Realtist Board which is still in existence today. They also desegregated the Stevenson Hotel(Conrad Hilton). 
  
  Fast forward to today. the comments state that preference should be given to African American businesses but the question in my mind do we really care anymore. 
  
  Over the years African American businesses have closed because of a lack of support or when the owners retired they received insulting offers from African Americans wanting to purchase the business. Such businesses were:
  
  
  • Khan & Nate- High end clothing 
  • Mr Ebony- High end clothing 
  • Clark Gas - Gas Station 
  • Calumet Paint- Sherwin Williams paint 
  • Williams Hydroplant- Lawn & Garden 
  • Harolds #2(71st State)-Food Service Establishment 
  • All Dry Cleaners 
  • Chatham Foods-Grocery Stores 
  • Collins bros-Grocery Stores 
  • RL Dukes- Car dealership 
  
  There are more, but you get the point. Then when we get young African Americans wanting to open businesses, we fight them to the bitter end such as on 75th. So is the call for African American business real or lip service?