Unencumbered Retail

The not so distant painful past that Black people have with retail racism is still alive and unwell. According to a recent Gallup poll, Black shoppers are more likely to report mistreatment by merchants. Consumer racial profiling including the racist thinking that Black people commit more theft than whites when data states otherwise, assumptions by merchants that Black people cannot afford certain high ticket items when their spending power says otherwise, and short or negligent engagement with Black consumers by retail staff/owners are just a few of the disrespectful and disheartening scenarios that play  out daily for Black shoppers. 

Black people and their tourism dollars demand dignity. And that’s all 109.4 billion of those dollars spent in the US on average each year. So when data shows that 42% of Black travelers say they have had an unwelcoming experience while on vacation, it is indeed perplexing—that is, until you look back at our history and realize little intentional work has been done to undo these trends. Sojourn Noir, not only wants to see an increase in thriving Black owned businesses, but also seeks to ensure that hard earned Black dollars are spent in businesses that welcome, respect and inspire a sense of belonging for Black people.