FEATURE STORY: “Our Businesses Are Under Attack. It's Our Responsibility to Help”

A troubling pattern has shaken Chicago’s South Side this week. Several Black-owned businesses — places we shop, gather, and pass down to our children — were hit with sudden and senseless break-ins. These weren’t typical robberies. Many of the businesses were vandalized, damaged, and left in disarray, with little evidence that theft was the primary motive.

The Instagram video circulating in the community shows owners surveying broken windows, scattered debris, and the kind of harm that feels targeted, not random. You can hear the frustration, the disbelief — and the determination. Because in Black Chicago, when one of us is hit, all of us feel it.

But what’s even louder than the damage is the response.

Neighbors are showing up. Shop owners are sharing one another’s posts. Community members are calling for support, donations, and foot traffic. The message is clear: If we don’t protect our own, no one else will.

Across Bronzeville and other South Side neighborhoods, these businesses represent more than commerce. They are legacy builders, cultural hubs, family livelihoods, and safe spaces where we circulate our dollars with intention. Moments like this remind us why “Buy Black” isn’t a slogan — it’s a survival strategy.

Now is the time to stand with them.

What You Can Do Right Now

• Visit the impacted businesses. Your presence matters.
  
• Buy something. Even a small purchase helps recovery.
  
• Share their posts. Visibility is currency.
  
• Donate to repair funds if they launch them.
  
• Tell your friends and family to choose Black-owned options first.
  

This isn’t about fear — it’s about action. About refusing to let our community’s progress be disrupted by destruction. About making sure these businesses not only reopen, but thrive.

Bronzecomm family, we’ve rallied before, and we will do it again. Our power shows when we move as one. 

Check out this update from the owner of Sean Michelle Ice Cream