Building a Black Economy: Black Entrepreneurs in Southern Orange County
Entrepreneurs Sustained Chapel Hill’s Black Economy
"Then on Franklin Street back in the ‘50s, from across from McDonalds all the way up to where they're building the Carolina Ale Shop, there was a Black restaurant called the Hollywood Grill. That was a Black restaurant. And next door to that in the same building was a cab company called the Hollywood Cab. We had our own cab company."
- Clayton Weaver, resident of Chapel Hill
Since the founding of the University of North Carolina in 1789, the labor of Black people has shaped the university and the town of Chapel Hill. In the early-1900s, Northside, one of the first historically Black neighborhoods in Chapel Hill after emancipation, grew as Black families sought out opportunities for survival under the tightening grip of Jim Crow. Along with Northside, surrounding neighborhoods formed a segregated Black labor enclave that was on its way to becoming a self-sufficient community. Black entrepreneurs opened restaurants, movie theaters, and a motel and supper club. Black-owned businesses were key to sustaining the economic health of the community.
Integration Pulled Money Away from Black-Owned Businesses
“I had a flower shop here in Carrboro. Very few Black [people] supported me. They would take their business to the white florists…And it wasn’t just my business. I had a friend that owned a beauty supply store, but Black [people] would go to the Asian beauty supply store versus theirs.”
- Regina Merritt, lifelong resident of Chapel Hill
While desegregation brought increased profits for white-owned businesses that received new clientele, for many Black-owned businesses, it had harmful consequences. After years of bitter struggle to integrate white businesses in Chapel Hill, the town finally gave in to federal law requiring desegregation in with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
Many Black patrons who had previously only shopped at Black-owned businesses had many more options available. They started patronizing both white and Black-owned businesses. However, white patrons did not start shopping at Black-owned businesses. This led to decreased profits for Black entrepreneurs, and caused Black businesses to close as they lost clientele.
Community Members Worked Extra to Make it Happen
“...back then you do whatever you could to make a little hustle.”
- Willis Farrington, lifelong resident of the Northside neighborhood
For many Black Chapel Hillians throughout the 20th century, working multiple jobs was the norm. While many people had day jobs, they also had alternate streams of income like selling produce from their gardens, doing home repairs, and running salons out of their homes. These jobs not only brought in needed income, but also provided helpful services for other community members.
Black-Owned Businesses are Safe Spaces
"I’ve heard stories from people that were around when there were Black-owned businesses, and most people that owned those businesses were family members or they knew the kid’s parents. It was really easy for them to come in and just hang around and don’t have to worry about safety or anything."
- Chelsea Alston, resident of Chapel Hill
Black-owned businesses have continuously been safe spaces for Chapel Hill and Carrboro’s Black communities. They have provided access to medical services, places of employment away from white violence, opportunities for upward mobility, and organizing spaces during the Freedom Movement. Black-owned businesses were clear representations of Black communities’ contributions to Chapel Hill during a time when white leaders ignored Black people’s achievements and needs. Both former and current Black entrepreneurs and their business ventures serve as models and inspiration for local Black youth today.
