Advocating for support of Black-owned businesses is a common practice in the effort to address economic and racial disparities. What is often lost among mainstream audiences is how far the consumer’s dollar goes in predominantly Black communities — such as those that sit on the “Delmar Divide,” where money and spending power is a step toward bridging the gap between affluent white neighborhoods and disinvested Black neighborhoods.
Delmar Main Street aims to counter the effects of that divide. The organization focuses on the business corridor between Skinker Boulevard and Taylor Avenue, and it is the host of the Black Business Expo being held Aug. 26 at Delmar Boulevard and Hamilton Avenue.
Lisa Potts is so passionate about this issue that she spends what little free time she has fighting for her community in the West End neighborhood, which is boarded by Delmar on the north side of St. Louis. In 2021 she became vice president of Delmar Main Street, and she has led efforts behind the upcoming expo.
“What's different about shopping on Delmar is that these are people that I know,” Potts told St. Louis on the Air. “We as community residents have to support them because that supports the local economy. If you ‘shop local,’ that money stays in a community longer, versus if you go, you know, to Chesterfield or somewhere and shop.”
GreaterHealth Pharmacy and Wellness, which opened to the public in February, is participating in Delmar Main Street’s expo. It's located in the Delmar Divine building, once St. Luke’s Hospital, in the West End neighborhood. Founder and CEO Marcus Howard holds a doctorate in human development and started his career in education but said the switch to entrepreneurship and health care was a smooth transition.
“Education and health care are some of the biggest things that a community needs to be successful and productive,” he said. Howard describes his pharmacy as “culturally responsive and radically inclusive” — something that ideally would describe all health care but does not. “We're here to help bridge that gap. We want to make sure that all people north or south of Delmar get the resources that they deserve.”
For more on Delmar Main Street’s Black Business Expo, how ‘buying Black’ helps communities across the region, and what a culturally responsive and radically inclusive pharmacy looks like in practice, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcast, Spotify or Google Podcast by clicking the play button below.
Related Event:
What: Delmar Main Street’s Black Business Expo
When: Aug. 26
Where: 5900 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Ulaa Kuziez is our production intern. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
