African American Businesses

Social distancing had a major impact on African American businesses. To maintain safety, some closed their doors due to the nature of their operations and gathering potentials. This has an obvious financial impact on these companies, yet to benefit the health of the citizens of Milwaukee, sacrifices were necessary. As the community searches for solutions to how social interactions will be conducted through institutions, some businesses have adjusted to service the current needs of the community by creating essential items that are vital during the era of COVID-19. Some African American entrepreneurs have utilized the time away to develop business aspirations. As uncertainty exists around how businesses will operate and function moving forward some businesses have used this time to plan out multiple possibilities for enterprise. Many members in the community aspire to have staple businesses in the community back up and running, however to what capacity they will operate is unknown. The items collected here showcase both how the virus impacted Milwaukee's African American business community, as well how individuals creatively engaged the crisis.