ORLANDO, Fla. — Part of the NBA’s attention to social justice issues includes black-owned businesses for food for the bubble.
Channel 9's Deanna Allbrittin spoke with one of those business owners who said business is booming.
Joshua Johnson, the owner of Seana’s Caribbean And Soul Food, said he hopes it leads to long-lasting partnerships with the Orlando Magic or at least some benefit from the current-national media attention to help close the gap between white and Black-owned businesses during and after this pandemic.
READ: Milwaukee Bucks boycott Game 5 against Orlando Magic in protest of Jacob Blake shooting
“It’s been crazy,” Johnson said. “It’s been a blessing.”
A new U.S. Federal Reserve report shows black-owned business are closing at 2.5 times the rate of white-owned businesses.
The effort was just one pillar of the NBA’s focus on social justice issues as the season restarted.
On Wednesday, players announced they were boycotting the playoff games in protest of the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.
READ: Boycotts are not new in sports
Despite how much the bubble has boosted his business, Johnson said the players’ boycott is a good move in the fight against systemic racism. “It’s about the bigger picture,” he said.
“In the shorter picture, yes, it’s going to be less money from the NBA, but in the larger picture, everything will work, maybe not for our generation, but maybe the next generation and the next generation,” Johnson said.
See a list of local Black-owned businesses below:
Black-owned businesses in Orlando by WFTV on Scribd
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