Bring Back Segregation
Without the massacres obviously
I came across this video the other day, and it reminded me of a conversation I had with Massear at least a decade ago. Yes I said it :
“Segregation was better for Black businesses.”
At first glance, the statement might seem provocative, but the intention is to explore the resilience and strength of Black-owned businesses during that era. While segregation was a painful and unjust period in history, it unintentionally fostered the growth of self-sustaining Black communities. Forced to create their own institutions—schools, businesses, and financial services—Black entrepreneurs built thriving establishments rooted in community values and supported by dedicated customers.
This economic empowerment cultivated a sense of pride and self-sufficiency.
Many Black-owned businesses flourished during this time, from barbershops and beauty salons to banks and insurance companies.
They weren’t just businesses; they were essential pillars of their communities, providing goods, services, and opportunities that were otherwise inaccessible. However, with desegregation came new challenges. Black businesses struggled to compete with larger, mainstream companies that had greater resources and broader customer reach.As a result, many Black-owned establishments closed, deeply affecting the economic landscape of these communities.
I truly believe integration destroyed Black communities—not just in the United States but abroad as well. Even though Europe did not experience a formal segregation era, we have lived through a silent form of it. Integration, rather than uplifting Black communities, often dismantled their economic structures.
A clear example of this in my country is the arrival of big corporations and supermarkets like Carrefour, which decimated the traditional fruit, spice, and vegetable markets. Where once people shopped at small, local businesses within the community, they now turn to massive shopping malls, overlooking and ultimately killing off the small markets in the process—all in the name of modernization.Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. himself foresaw these dangers. In a conversation with Harry Belafonte, he confessed :
"I have come upon something that disturbs me deeply. I've come to believe we're integrating into a burning house."
He feared that America was losing its moral vision and stressed that justice and opportunity for the underprivileged were necessary to prevent further economic and social decline. His words resonate deeply today, as we witness the long-term consequences of integration on Black communities worldwide. The reality is that we, Black and Brown people, have become active participants in the destruction of our own communities. Integration did not simply open doors; it also led us away from self-sufficiency and into dependency on systems that were never built to serve us. We traded our own businesses, institutions, and economic power for access to spaces that still do not fully embrace us.
This pattern is evident not just in the United States, but globally. In many Black and Brown communities, we see the same cycle: local businesses struggling or closing as multinational corporations take over, neighborhood institutions disappearing in the name of "progress," and our collective wealth funneled into hands that do not reinvest in us.
The burning house King spoke of was not just a metaphor for racial injustice—it was a warning that, without economic and social self-determination, we would find ourselves engulfed in a system designed to consume us.
If we do not make conscious efforts to reclaim ownership—of our businesses, our narratives, and our economic power—we will continue to contribute to our own demise. True empowerment does not come from mere inclusion in existing structures; it comes from building and sustaining our own.
Today, we can learn from this history by recognizing that economic power is still deeply tied to where we choose to spend our money. While we no longer see blatant signs designating "white-only" or "colored-only" spaces, the economic structures that once marginalized Black businesses have evolved rather than disappeared. Instead of legal segregation, we now witness systemic barriers, exclusionary practices, and the dominance of corporations that do not reinvest in our communities.
The core principle remains: we must be intentional about supporting businesses that align with our values. Every purchase we make is a political act, a choice that either strengthens our communities or further entrenches our dependence on systems that have historically worked against us.
This reminds me of my friend Soraya, who compiled a list of businesses and establishments that should be boycotted—a kind of reverse Green Book, not a guide to safe spaces, but a directory of places where we should not set foot : "The No-Go Guide: Where Not to Spend Your Money" . It’s a radical yet necessary idea, underscoring that economic resistance is just as crucial as economic empowerment. If we are serious about reclaiming our power, then choosing where not to spend our money is just as important as choosing where to invest it.