Black-owned businesses in DC's H-Street neighborhood face struggles to remain open.

Washington D.C. is a historic Black city that is rapidly changing. This shift has left local businesses like KitchenCray struggling to keep their identity in a neighborhood desperate to erase them.

Chef James Robinson opened KitchenCray in 2020 with the intention of bringing cultural cuisine to the historically Black area. However, he and his partner Sudon Williams were met with constant scrutiny from the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC). This governing body's control over liquor licenses in the area allegedly targeted Black-owned businesses like KitchenCray.

Robinson and Williams had the idea to turn the basement of their restaurant into a lounge with a live DJ. But when they appeared before a committee of mostly neighborhood volunteers, they were met with resistance. Williams claims that one member told her to "control your people." This was backed up by Commissioner Robb Dooling who admitted the language "went too far."

Robinson and Williams were not alone in their frustrations with the majority-white ANC. H Street Main Street executive director Anwar Saleem noted that businesses already have challenges getting their permits.

The combined disrespect and financial burden of trying to reach a favorable agreement forced Robinson to close the doors to KitchenCray after only three years. This is yet another example of how the ever-changing landscape in historically Black cities is leaving local communities and businesses struggling to survive.

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