Black business owners lead by example

Racine was ranked as the second-worst city for Black Americans in the United States, according to a 24/7 Wall St. study published in June 2023, comparing the median income, unemployment and homeownership rates between the white and Black populations.

The Black median annual household income is $25,751, just 36.5% of the white median household income of $70,589. Black Racine residents are also more than four times as likely to live below the poverty line as white residents.

With these statistics in mind, The Journal Times spoke to a few Black business owners to learn about their businesses and hear their thoughts on leading by example in Racine.

Lorna Revere

Lorna Revere opened her women’s clothing boutique Lornacopia, 310 Sixth St., 14 years ago.

At Lornacopia, she sells a mix of new and pre-owned clothing.

While some people come in to shop from the rack, Revere also styles customers who need to be dressed for a special event or just need some help adding pieces to their wardrobe.

But for Revere, the community is more important to her than the clothes.

Revere is from Ohio but has called many cities worldwide home because of her previous career as a flight attendant.

When asked about Racine being the second-worst city for Black Americans in the U.S., Revere said she was disappointed to discover how segregated the city is.

“When I moved to Racine, I didn’t know if I could stay there. I told my sister, ‘Oh my God, it’s so segregated.’ I just wasn’t used to that,” Revere said. “I could not understand the unemployment numbers with Black Americans. I asked my sister (who lives in Racine), ‘Why are so many Black Americans not working and also, why are so many younger Black Americans not at school?’”

In addition to the segregation within the community, Revere said that it breaks her heart to see so many incarcerated Black men, who want to change their lives around, but don’t have an avenue to do so.

“They’re in jail for that many years for that crime and you’re going to keep them in jail when they could be outside,” she said. “They want to be outside. They can get a job. They are educated, highly educated, and even the ones that aren’t want to come out and take care of their families. If they don’t have a family, they want to be a productive member of society. They’ve paid their dues. Must you keep so many Black men incarcerated? The system has got to change.”

One of the most striking things Revere has noticed about Racine is the lack of hope from young minorities.

“We try to conversate with people, get to know them, ask about their day, what they do — and if they’re younger people, what would they like to do, what they would like to become,” she said. “Fourteen years later, I still do the same thing. I engage people, and the one factor that still rings out in my mind is the lack of hope. There’s a lack of hope in Racine for minorities.”

Revere said she frequently hears “I want to be a nurse” or “I would love to own a home” from young people, but it always leads back to “I can’t do it” because of a lack of hope.

Revere thinks it’s crucial for people to support Black-owned businesses.

“These businesses need to stay in business so that they give hope to other minorities,” she said. “We’ve got to breathe hope into our community that ‘you can do it too.’ I feel like you can’t just have a business and not try to encourage other Black people to want to do the same. You got there — help somebody else get there.”

Emerson Holliday

Emerson Holliday opened Dragon Pit BBQ during the pandemic in the summer of 2020.

At 1501 Washington Ave., Dragon Pit BBQ is known for its smoked meats and comfort foods like biscuits and gravy.

Nearly everything is homemade, even the BBQ rubs and sauces.

During the summer, Holliday goes mobile, hosting pop-ups with a food truck at festivals, farmers markets and other events.

Through the Racine Unified School District, Holliday hosts a shadowing program for high school students who are interested in getting into the restaurant business.

He talks to them about entrepreneurship and the resources available to start their own restaurants.

Holliday said that while it’s important to support Black-owned businesses, it’s more important for minorities to see him and other Black business owners as an example — so they can picture themselves as business owners, too.

“If you see one business succeeding, you want to do it, too. As a Black business owner, if I’m doing good, then everybody’s doing good,” he said. “I’m doing good for my community. I’m helping kids see better ventures and become entrepreneurs.”

Deontrae Mayfield

Deontrae Mayfield runs The Main Project & Café, 1014 State St.

The Main Project became an official nonprofit organization in December 2020, but Mayfield has been leading community efforts since 2013.

Some of the work he does includes food drives, reading programs, coat drives, Christmas giveaways and Thanksgiving baskets.

Mayfield wants to make sure young people have a good household.

“We work with a lot of kids, and the problem we were running into is a lot of the kids that we deal with — their parents are in and out of jail,” he said. “So we can have a child eight hours a day, working with them, but if they have to go back to a household that’s broken, it’s counterproductive.”

To help fix these households, and to keep people out of jail, Mayfield started a diversion program called Project Restoration.

This six-month program is designed to help people improve their lives — for themselves and their families.

The program is customized to each individual and catered to what participants want to accomplish.

One 19-year-old is working toward a GED and is in an apprenticeship program to get a job in the trades, Mayfield said.

“My whole thing for the program is: ‘Don’t wait until you get out of the program to try and fix your life.’ If you get an opportunity to fix your life and not go to jail, then I want to be that program for you,” Mayfield said.

Mayfield can relate to those in the program — he spent 13 years in prison for selling drugs.

When he was released, he helped in the community under a program, also called Project Restoration, where he would restore furniture to sell at “Goodwill prices,” build kids up and offer year-round lawn care or other housework.

Yolanda Coleman

Yolanda Coleman started Be Plush Collective, 300 Main St., to help women start their own businesses.

Be Plush Collective is for entrepreneurs who don’t necessarily have the money to start a business from the ground up, but need a foundation.

Coleman is one of five business owners in the collective.

She shares the space with Tracey Riley of Honey Bee’s Bling Hive; Joyce Cook of JC’s Boutique; Janela Smith of Sheabrojae’s Natural Expression; and Michelle Harris of Della Mar’ Chris Bakery.

All the women at the collective have faced struggles, but they also have built their businesses despite the obstacles.

Coleman, Cook, Harris and Smith are cancer survivors, and Riley is a disabled veteran who has overcome domestic abuse and homelessness.

Coleman opened Be Plush Collective two years ago, but she also owned Plush Clothing, 409 Main St., which “catered to the full-figure woman,” with sizes that went from 0x to 6x.

Plush Clothing opened May 1, 2019, and Coleman closed the store in August 2023.

At the collective, Coleman sells Be Plush, which is XS-XL, and Plush Clothing, 0x-6x.

In April, Coleman plans to include four new spots for people who’d like to join the collective and launch their businesses.

“What I’ve learned is Racine can be very cliquey and picky when it comes to Black businesses, even in the downtown area,” she said. “It’s a little discouraging at times, but also, it’s cool when people actually find out that you’re here and you’re a Black business and they’re like, ‘Oh my God. I didn’t know you guys were down here.’”