Black Spaces Matter

This opinion piece has been brewing inside me for a few years now.Maybe it started when I first heard about the two Black men arrested in Starbucks for simply waiting on a business partner. Or maybe it’s been there since the heightened reality that doing anything while being Black is a problem for non-Black people. Every. Single. Time. we have tried to create a space for us—whether it’s pro-Black, Black-owned, or simply a community built by Black people for Black people—it’s met with resistance, hostility, and often, destruction.

Everybody else can do it, but when we do it, it’s a problem. And history has receipts.

The Erasure of Black Prosperity

Throughout American history, Black communities have fought to establish financial independence, economic growth, and cultural strongholds—only to have them torn down by racism, greed, and systemic oppression. Here are just a few documented instances where our thriving Black spaces were deliberately dismantled:

Black Wall Street (Tulsa, OK – 1921)

One of the most well-known examples, the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma—often called Black Wall Street—was a thriving Black economic hub. Home to Black-owned banks, businesses, theaters, and schools, it was a testament to Black excellence and self-sufficiency.

And then they came. White mobs, fueled by jealousy and racial hatred, burned it to the ground in what became known as the Tulsa Race Massacre. Hundreds were killed, thousands left homeless, and an entire Black economy was erased overnight.

Rosewood, Florida (1923)

Another prosperous Black town, Rosewood was self-sufficient and independent. But a false accusation from a white woman led to an angry white mob destroying the entire town. Families were murdered, homes set on fire, and those who survived were forced to flee, leaving behind everything they had built.

Seneca Village (New York City – 1857)

Before Central Park, there was Seneca Village—a thriving Black community of homeowners, churches, and businesses. Through eminent domain, the government seized the land and destroyed the neighborhood to make way for what is now one of the most famous parks in the world. Black families were displaced and erased from history.

Black Banks and Financial Institutions

From the Freedman’s Bank (established after the Civil War) to more modern Black-owned banks, financial institutions meant to empower Black communities have been repeatedly sabotaged by racist policies, lack of government support, and economic exclusion. When Black people attempt to control their own economic future, barriers are always thrown in our way.

Urban Renewal (“Negro Removal”) and Gentrification

Fast forward to today—when Black neighborhoods are redlined, divested from, then “redeveloped” in the name of “urban renewal.” What that really means is pushing Black people out through gentrification, stripping them of generational wealth, and replacing their culture with high-rise condos and Whole Foods.

Why We Must Keep Building

All we want is a safe space to be Black sometimes. America is a wild place, and to be able to call a space your own—to say you can go there and it is safe to be your authentic self in all of your glory—is all we ask. Just like any human, we deserve to be safe, to belong, and to be loved.

In the recent news, we see that the naysayers are against the concept, which has been repackaged as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) which includes other attributes, like gender or physical or mental disability. DEI has mistakenly become a synonym for the belonging and advancement of Black people only. But the truth is, with or without a DEI policy in place, we will continue to build these spaces for us—because it is vital.

Census records prove that the population of people who identify as Black Americans is on the rise. We need to continue to fight to build places where our people belong to work, play, and live.

Our neighborhoods, our vacations, our hobbies, our homes, our social groups, our banks, our businesses, our schools, our media—they matter. They are more than just places; they are symbols of our resilience, our brilliance, and our ability to thrive despite every obstacle placed in our path. We been saying Black Lives Matter since before the hashtags, cameras, popularity and policies. It won’t change. All lives can’t matter until black lives matter. 

We must protect our spaces. We must support Black-owned businesses, uplift Black media, and invest in our own financial institutions. Because if history has taught us anything, it’s that nobody is coming to save us—we have to save ourselves.

#BuildBlack #ProtectBlackSpaces #BlackExcellence #BlackSpacesMatter