Five-star reviews, one-star profits: The devaluation of businesses in Black communities

“Our ice is just as cold.” This expression, heard in corners of Black neighborhoods to articulate the choice between a Black-owned business and a white one, reminds customers that racism distorts our sense of quality. In a more perfect union, profits earned from a business would reflect the effort and labor put into it. The drag of racism on an economy not only cuts into individual owners’ profits, it robs local consumers and municipalities of the amenities and services neighborhoods gain from increased revenues. Further, a biased market cuts into the heart of the American Dream by negating the hard work, agency, and self-determination of business owners.