How ownership helped a Black-owned U Street businesses survive gentrification
As Washington, D.C.’s historically Black U Street corridor continues to gentrify, longtime Black-owned businesses like Lee’s Flower and Card Shop and Ben’s Chili Bowl say ownership and adaptability have been key to their survival. While both families acknowledge the economic growth brought to the area, they also reflect on the displacement of longtime Black residents and the changing identity of the once predominantly Black community known as “Black Broadway.” The post How ownership helped a Black-owned U Street businesses survive gentrification appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
Black News 
By Victoria Mejicanos
AFRO Staff Writer
vmejicanos@afro.com
Washington, D.C., once dubbed “Chocolate City” for its majority Black population in 1957, has now become one of the most gentrified cities in recent years, according to the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. Today, about 43 percent of the city’s population identifies as Black, which has reshaped historically Black neighborhoods like the U Street corridor.
Stacie Lee Banks, president and co-owner of Lee’s Flower and Card Shop, is among some of the few remaining Black-owned businesses in the area that was once referred to as “Black Broadway.” Their staying power, they say, lies mainly in ownership.
“Our street has changed, just like the country,” said Lee Banks. “It’s very gentrified now, but we were able to sustain our business because of the ownership piece.”
William and Winnifred Lee, her grandparents, purchased the building in 1968 for $75,000. The purchase means the shop doesn’t have to worry about issues such as rising rent costs, unlike other businesses.
“That is the pivotal decision that answers all the questions about longevity,” said Lee Banks.
For many, gentrification is a hotly debated topic. According to the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, gentrification can often lead to improved infrastructure and expansions of local economies, but not everyone benefits equally, according to their research.
“The benefits of gentrification, such as improved services and rising property values, are not distributed equally,” a May 2025 report on gentrification reads. “Wealthier, often White, newcomers tend to reap more of the advantages, while lower-income and minority residents bear the brunt of the costs. The disparity reinforces existing racial and economic inequalities.”
For Lee Banks, it’s complicated. She recalls how, as a teenager, the area was known for its blight after the 1968 riots following Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, which continued into the 1980s during the drug epidemic.
Her first experience of gentrification came after the construction of the Metro Green Line. Initially, road closures and construction barricades eliminated foot traffic but the business was able to sustain itself due to phone orders. Following the completion of the Green Line, there was an economic growth spurt.
“At first I was like, ‘Oh, wow. I’m so excited that we have all these businesses and people,’” said Lee Banks. “But it just became apparent to me that that’s what gentrification looks like, where people that were there before can’t afford to come back because the area has picked up.”
“I’ve seen it low, and now I see it high, and I feel like it’s bittersweet,” said Lee Banks. “I’m happy that U Street is bustling. Business is blooming, but I’m sad that the sacrifice is the people that were here aren’t able to get back in the city.”
The post How ownership helped a Black-owned U Street businesses survive gentrification appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
