A Commentary: Rebuilding What Integration Unintentionally Broke

I catch heat every time I say it, but I’ll say it again because it needs to be said: economically, integration hurt the Black community. Notice what I said—economically. Not socially, not politically, not morally. Political and social integration were essential. They tore down barriers that had held us back for generations. They secured rights, protections, and opportunities we had been denied for far too long.

But economically, integration delivered a blow we still haven’t recovered from. It quietly dismantled the economic engine that once powered Black neighborhoods.

Before integration, we had no choice but to rely on one another. Black doctors, Black dentists, Black teachers, Black insurance agents, Black mechanics, Black barbers, Black tailors, Black restaurants, Black banks—our dollars circulated within our own neighborhoods because there was nowhere else they could go. And as a result, our institutions were strong, rooted, and reinvested in the very communities they served.

But when the doors of society finally opened, we didn’t integrate our businesses into the broader economy. Instead, the broader economy integrated into us. The moment we were allowed to spend outside our neighborhoods, we did so—often abandoning the very businesses that had sustained us through segregation.

And today, in nearly every predominantly Black community, the effects are painfully visible:

A Pakistani or Indian-owned convenience store at the gas station.
An Arab-owned “you buy, we fry” spot.
A Vietnamese-owned nail salon.
A Korean-owned beauty supply store.
A Jewish- or Caucasian-owned payday loan center.

Here’s the question we don’t like to ask out loud: How many of those business owners live where they make their money?
How many of them sponsor Pop Warner football? Support Little League? Donate to school supply drives?
Buy ads in Black newspapers? Show up for our youth programs, churches, or community events?

We already know the answer.

This is not about blaming other groups—it’s about diagnosing the economic reality. I heard someone say we are living in colonies, not communities. A community is built by people who live, work, own, and reinvest in the same place. A colony is a place where outsiders extract resources with no intention of nurturing the people who live there.

And the data tells the story:

How long a dollar stays before leaving each community:

• Asian American: 28 days
• Jewish American: 20 days
• White American: 17 days
• Latino/Hispanic: 6 days
• Black American: 6 hours

Six hours.

Our dollar barely gets a chance to breathe before it’s gone.

So the question is not whether integration was right—it was. The question is:
What did we lose economically, what haven’t we rebuilt, and what must we now reconstruct with intention and discipline?

A Strategy for 2026: Intentional Economic Re-engagement

We need a deliberate, targeted approach—starting with the professionals and service providers we depend on every day: healthcare workers, attorneys, plumbers, electricians, interior designers, mechanics, landscapers, tutors, writers. Before you call anyone else, look for Black providers first.

Just look at healthcare. Studies show Black patients often have better outcomes with Black doctors. If that kind of alignment matters in medicine, imagine what it could mean across every industry.

I’m like Wesley Snipes in Passenger 57: “I Always bet on Black.”

But Spending Alone Isn’t Enough

We also must advocate. Be a cheerleader for Black-owned businesses. Share their posts. Leave a good review. Make referrals.

And when they slip—and yes, they will because every business does—give them the same grace we hand out generously to others. We’ll let other-owned businesses mess up repeatedly and still return. But let a Black business stumble once, and we’re writing a full dissertation on Facebook.

That double standard drains life from our economic base.

If we’re serious about turning neighborhoods back into communities, then Black ownership, Black spending, and Black reinvestment must become a lifestyle—not just a catchphrase. Every dollar is a vote. Every purchase is a decision about whether we remain colonies—or rebuild the thriving economic ecosystem we once had.

This is not about going backward.
It’s about recovering what integration scattered, repairing what was weakened, and using that restored economic power to build a future that is sustainable, self-sufficient, and truly ours.

Economically, integration hurt us. But economically, we can rise again—if we choose to be intentional about where our dollars live and what they build.