Black Businesses Bear Economic Brunt of the Pandemic

COVID-19 hasn't just killed a disproportionate number of African Americans, the virus has also hurt more Black-owned businesses.

The pandemic has exacerbated existing racial disparities, leading to the closures of hundreds of thousands of businesses operated by African Americans. A new study reveals just how hard the pandemic has hit the Black community across the country.

There were more than 1 million Black-owned businesses in the U.S. at the beginning of February. By mid-April, a staggering 440,000 of those had closed for good, according to a study by the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Kat Stafford from the Associated Press takes a look at the structural racism that continues to hold down Black entrepreneurs. Read the full story here. The New York Times also has an excellent take on this issue.

By the way, Asian-owned businesses are feeling the pain too.