How locally black-owned businesses are being affected by BLM protests and the social justice movement

Standing strong while running a business and fighting for equality

Hundreds and thousands of lives have been affected because of the protests and rioting that have occurred this year regarding black lives and police brutality.

And while protestors are fighting for racial equality, what some of them haven't come to realize throughout all this are the black-owned businesses that have been affected as well.

Some businesses aren't ‘in the weeds' as much as they had hoped to be this year. Tammy Bradley, co-owner of Clara's Kitchen, said they have been up and down in sales. “After everything with George Floyd had calmed down, business slowed back down and we've gone back to normal”, Bradley said. “We're barely making it by to maintain.”

On the other hand, local cake maker, Sidnee Byrd, owner of Dinner On Mee says that 2020 has been a great year for her, despite the chaos from this year. “My business has really flourished”, Byrd said,  “The black community has banded together and I feel like the protests have made us stronger and it has united the community”.

Along with it also being an election year, the protests, the riots, and most well known, the Black Lives Matter organization, could potentially play an important role in this year's results.

Manuel Gooden, the other co-owner of Clara's Kitchen, said “Because the BLM movement is driven by emotions, I think that is going to affect both sides”. He also mentioned, “Both sides are emotionally voting. It's going to be hard for people not to vote with their emotions because there's so much light shined on the aftermath reactions instead of the factual events which lead to each individual protest.”

And on the topic of BLM and voter issues, Byrd said, “I hope that when people make their decision, they are making one that has no bearing on racial issues”. Byrd also expressed, “I am hoping they are choosing to think in terms of equality and fairness, reaching into their truth to do the right thing”.

No matter what side you may be on, Tammy Bradley has some words of wisdom because she says, “We shouldn't just be supporting black businesses - we should be supporting every local business and each other, so we all stay in business”.