Before 1950, Rampart Street was a collage of successful, black-owned and operated businesses that catered to the African-Americans living in the neighborhood.
In the mid-1950s, the integration movement allowed blacks to patronize stores like Maison Blanche and Sears.
Since then black-owned businesses have suffered from the loss of their neighborhood patrons.
On Wednesday, a discussion panel, sponsored by the Black Student Union, met in Nunemaker Hall to ask what accomplishments were made since the Civil Rights Movement and what still needs to be done. The forum was held in conjunction with other black history month events.
“We hit the streets for equality,” remarked local activist, Mama D, “not for integration. There are no more neon signs reading ‘no niggers.'”
But after African-Americans won the right to go where the signs had once hung, other obstacles came into existence.
“I see the signs on certain jobs,” responded Jason Smith visual arts junior and BSU president.
He also said America does not offer blacks as many opportunities to operate the businesses that they can now patronize.
Their limitation as patrons to white-operated businesses enlarges the socio-economic gap and victimizes the once flourishing black businesses, he said.
“There were tailor shops all along Broad Street. After integration, my mother and my aunt went to department stores. They didn’t go to their neighborhood stores anymore. And we lost that,” Iona Renfroe, local criminal defense attorney and Loyola graduate, said.
Others at the forum said blacks must now overcome the economic barriers such as money and who has it becomes increasingly more significant than race in America.
“That is why we’re at Loyola,” said Smith, “so that we can compete.”
“It’s about class. It’s about rich and poor,” said Renfroe. “If you have enough money it doesn’t matter what color you are.
“But none of us should have to assimilate or change ourselves in order to be accepted by anybody else.”
The black middle and upper class is growing thanks to decreasing discrimination and better education, says a report by the Urban Institute.
However, according to the 2000 census, nine million blacks achieve an income of a mere $18,000 for a family of four. And 25 percent of black individuals live in poverty.
But the 2000 census also shows per capita income increased 14 percent more among blacks than it did for whites after 1999.
The panel moved on to discuss current stereotypes, such as the term “oreo.”
Many agreed that this term is directed towards blacks who take advantage of opportunities once reserved for whites only, such as private school.
“Black people were calling me ‘oreo,'” communications junior Melissa Simpson said. “We end up being racists against ourselves.”
“I see black Americans themselves holding ‘whites only’ signs,” Smith said.
“As to what we do next?” concluded Percy Marchand, vice president of BSU, “We have to find our place in America.”
