NPR

Black Restaurant Week: Across U.S., Events Remind Diners, 'We're Here. Support Us'

Blacks often struggle to raise capital to open and run restaurants, a legacy of discrimination. Over the past few years, promotions to help diners know which restaurants are black-owned have spread.
Thromentta Anderson, the owner of Pass Da Peas in northwest Milwaukee likes to greet customers by name and give them tokens toward free drinks. But he was glad to see new faces during Black Restaurant Week.

Oakland is a city that's rapidly gentrifying, shedding much of its African-American population along the way. The California city, which was 47 percent black in 1980, is now divided roughly into a quarter each of black, white, Asian and Hispanic residents.

The sense of the city's changing identity has ended up helping Adrian Henderson's business. He's co-owner of Kingston 11 Cuisine, a Caribbean restaurant in a neighborhood that's changed so much lately that it goes by the dual name of Koreatown Northgate.

"Here in Oakland, folks are seeing black folks being pushed out," Henderson says. "We're a community-based restaurant, so people of color are supporting our business. Any black-owned business or restaurant is being over-supported now, which is great,

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min readCrime & Violence
Pro-Palestinian Protests Spread To The Campuses Of USC And The University Of Texas
Arrests were made at both schools. The LAPD said it would continue patrolling USC's campus into Thursday, while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the protestors at UT-Austin belong in jail.
NPR6 min readCrime & Violence
What's At Stake As The Supreme Court Hears Idaho Case About Abortion In Emergencies
The Supreme Court will consider the question: Should doctors treating pregnancy complications follow state or federal law if the laws conflict? Here's how the case could affect women and doctors.
NPR4 min readInternational Relations
An American Hostage Is Seen Alive For The First Time Since Oct. 7 In A Hamas Video
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who turned 24 last month while in captivity, has spent more than 200 days in captivity. His left arm was partially blown off by a grenade during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7.

Related Books & Audiobooks