Pushed and pulled: How race shapes the displacement of Black-owned businesses during commercial gentrification

Abstract

This study examines how race shapes the displacement of Black-owned businesses during commercial gentrification in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Utilising an autoethnographic case study approach, the author integrates two decades of personal experience as a Black business owner with testimonies from 19 other Black business owners. The findings reveal the multidimensional nature of displacement – including exclusionary, physical, social, cultural and psychological aspects. Physical displacement is categorised as either economically induced or regulatory induced. A push–pull theory is introduced, highlighting how racial biases – even within the Black community – push Black-owned businesses towards displacement, while Black social capital and other forms of support pull them towards survival. The study underscores the need for policy interventions that support Black business owners in resisting gentrification and advocates for anti-discrimination protections in commercial leasing.