Abstract

The Effects of Racism and Racial Discrimination on Minority Business Development: The Case of Black Manufacturers in Chicago's Ethnic Beauty Aids Industry

This article examines the historical development of Chicago's ethnic beauty aids industry from the perspective of black manufacturers. It argues that racism and racial discrimination in mainstream society have shaped the business strategies of black manufacturers in Chicago's ethnic beauty aids industry historically. This thesis is developed through an examination of this group of black manufacturers across three distinct historical periods: the Great Migration to the Great Depression, the Great Depression to the civil rights movement, and the civil rights movement to the 1990's. This framework highlights the degree to which similarities among black manufacturers in Chicago's ethnic beauty aids industry result from imprinting from one historical period to the next. The article's conclusions suggest that a more general examination of black business development focusing on the relationship between racism, racial discriminations, and black entrepreneurship is warranted.