Abstract
Media accounts report that the COVID-19 pandemic and 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement disproportionately affected Black communities and businesses, amplifying already- existing racial health and economic disparities. Black-owned small businesses experienced significant indirect and direct economic damages in Chicago, Illinois, and research literature is now striving to provide analyses of Black business owners’ experiences in 2020. The present study uses quantitative and qualitative data analyses to discern the impact of 2020 crises on small businesses in Englewood, Chicago. The study examined foot traffic data from cell-phone records to identify business visitation patterns relative to the March 21 Illinois stay-at-home order and the commencement of BLM protests after the murder of George Floyd on May 25. After both March 21 and May 25, there were statistically significant changes in foot traffic in majority-Black neighborhoods as compared to majority-non-Black neighborhoods. The research elucidated the complexity of the mechanisms by which COVID-19 and BLM activities disproportionately influenced Black communities through semi-structured interviews with Black-identifying small business owners (n=8) in Englewood. The study participants detailed their evolving perceptions of policing in Englewood after looting in June, concern for employee well-being in the pandemic, and complex grant application processes throughout 2020. Business owners were motivated to keep their firms open to support their families, promote values benefitting Englewood residents, and refute stereotypes about Englewood itself. This project provides insight into the range of experiences Black entrepreneurs in Englewood have faced in 2020 and suggests ways that policy responses might usefully support their survival and success.