Economic disparities for Black Minnesotans persist post-Floyd

For all the fear that defined the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kristel Porter had never been less afraid. Government support, from eviction and foreclosure moratoriums to unemployment and stimulus checks, meant there was a safety net where there hadn’t been before. For the first time, Porter, executive director of the West Broadway Business and Area Coalition in north Minneapolis, wasn’t worried about losing her house. “There was no fear of being evicted. There was no fear of losing your home. There was no fear of losing your job, because you probably already lost it or you just were on unemployment,” she said. Then a police officer murdered George Floyd on a Minneapolis street corner, and the world changed yet again. As the outcry spread across the globe, companies pledged to hire more Black workers and created positions focused on diversity. Money flooded Black-run businesses and organizations as corporations, governments and individuals pledged support and to re-examine internal hiring and funding policies for possible inequities. More Black people were able to start businesses, buy homes and make other investments in their own well-being since the pandemic and Floyd’s murder. “I do think that these last couple years have been...