Advancing Fair Market Participation and Protecting Black Enterprise in Chicago
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- 12 min read
Written by Sajdah Wendy Muhammad, Business Advisor
Wendy is a multi-million-dollar business and real estate developer, global thought leader, crisis manager, emotional intelligence coach, and award-winning urban historic preservationist. An international entrepreneur, she has pioneered innovative healthcare business models and founded the Mind of an Entrepreneur® brand to empower marginalized communities through wealth-building, business ownership, and sustainable community development.
Chicago’s economic vitality depends upon the strength and participation of entrepreneurs across all neighborhoods. Small businesses serve as anchors of employment, neighborhood stability, and community wealth. Yet, many Black entrepreneurs continue to face structural barriers that limit their ability to compete fairly in the marketplace. In addition to longstanding disparities in access to capital, contracting opportunities, and commercial networks, many business owners report discriminatory practices that function as informal market exclusion. For Black entrepreneurs who practice Islam, these barriers may be compounded by racial discrimination and Islamophobia (fear, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general).
These barriers can manifest through vendor exclusion, reputational targeting, denial of partnership opportunities, direct sabotaging, lender discrimination, and other forms of informal market gatekeeping that restrict legitimate enterprise development. Business owners also report exclusion from procurement pipelines, sudden termination or non-renewal of contracts without clear justification, barriers to entry within established vendor networks, and coordinated efforts to undermine credibility within professional circles. In some cases, entrepreneurs experience obstacles in accessing commercial space, difficulties securing fair financing terms, delays in licensing or regulatory approvals, and the circulation of damaging narratives that discourage potential partners, customers, or investors from engaging with otherwise viable enterprises. Taken together, these practices create a quiet but powerful form of market exclusion that limits the growth and sustainability of businesses that would otherwise contribute meaningfully to Chicago’s economic life.
This white paper proposes that the City of Chicago establish a Task Force on Fair Market Access and Anti-Competitive Practices to investigate and address discriminatory barriers affecting Black-owned businesses, with particular attention to enterprises led by Black Chicagoans who practice Islam. Black Chicagoans who practice Islam often fall between policy categories, too often invisible in discussions of racial equity, while similarly overlooked in conversations about religious discrimination. As a result, the intersection of racial disparities in entrepreneurship and religious bias can remain insufficiently examined in economic policy and enforcement efforts.
Establishing a task force would allow the City to more closely examine how these overlapping dynamics may affect market access, contracting opportunities, and fair competition. By strengthening transparency, accountability, and equitable enforcement of economic protections, Chicago can expand participation in its business ecosystem while reaffirming its commitment to neighborhood investment, fair opportunity, and inclusive economic growth. In doing so, Chicago has an opportunity to lead nationally in recognizing and addressing the complex ways race, faith, and economic opportunity intersect in the modern urban economy.
Framing statement: Advancing fair market participation and community wealth in Chicago
Chicago’s long-term economic strength depends on the ability of entrepreneurs in every neighborhood to participate fully and fairly in the city’s marketplace. For many communities on the South and West Sides, small businesses are not only engines of commerce, they are anchors of stability, job creation, and community wealth. Restaurants, retail establishments, service firms, and small manufacturers often serve as the economic backbone of neighborhoods that have historically faced barriers to capital investment and infrastructure support. Ensuring that these businesses are protected from discriminatory exclusion and anti-competitive practices aligns directly with the City’s commitment to equitable economic development and neighborhood investment. When capable entrepreneurs are prevented from competing on fair terms, the consequences extend beyond individual businesses and limit the economic potential of entire communities.
Chicago also has a unique opportunity to recognize and support the historic entrepreneurial traditions that have shaped the city’s neighborhoods. Among these traditions is the longstanding culture of enterprise cultivated within Chicago’s Black Muslim community, rooted in the principle of economic self-determination and cooperative trade. For generations, Black Muslim entrepreneurs have operated businesses across Chicago’s South and West Sides, restaurants, retail markets, publishing enterprises, distribution networks, farms, and service companies, often reinvesting profits directly back into local communities. These businesses have historically created employment opportunities, supported local supply chains, and strengthened neighborhood commercial corridors. Strengthening protections for businesses operating within this ecosystem supports the broader goals of community wealth building, expands pathways for local ownership, and reinforces Chicago’s leadership as a city committed to inclusive growth, fair competition, and economic dignity for all residents.
Beyond its moral and civil rights dimensions, protecting fair market participation is also a matter of sound economic policy for the City of Chicago. Small businesses generate a significant share of employment opportunities in urban economies and contribute directly to municipal tax revenues through sales taxes, property taxes, and licensing fees. When local businesses succeed, they activate commercial corridors, stabilize neighborhood property values, and create a multiplier effect that benefits surrounding businesses and residents alike. Conversely, when discriminatory barriers or anti-competitive practices suppress legitimate businesses, the economic consequences ripple through entire communities, reducing job creation, weakening neighborhood commercial activity, and limiting the city’s overall economic growth potential.
Chicago’s leadership in this area is also deeply connected to its historic identity as a center of Black enterprise in America. From the early twentieth century, when the Chicago Defender helped shape the Great Migration and fostered one of the most vibrant Black business communities in the nation, to the mid-century development of Black-owned financial institutions, cultural enterprises, and independent commercial districts, Chicago has long served as a national model of Black economic development. The city also became the headquarters for the Nation of Islam under the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, whose emphasis on disciplined entrepreneurship and cooperative economics produced one of the most visible and organized examples of Black business development in the United States. Today, Chicago continues this tradition through emerging Black entrepreneurial ecosystems in technology, professional services, retail, media, and community development. Protecting the ability of Black entrepreneurs to compete fairly therefore safeguards not only individual businesses but also a historic legacy of enterprise that has contributed significantly to Chicago’s identity and economic vitality.
For these reasons, ensuring that Black businesses, particularly those owned by Black Chicagoans who practice Islam, can compete fairly within Chicago’s marketplace is not only a matter of fairness; it is an investment in the city’s long-term economic resilience. Chicago holds a unique place in the history of Black Muslim life in America. The city serves as the historic headquarters of the Nation of Islam under the leadership of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, making Chicago not merely a location of Black Muslim life but a formative center of its spiritual, cultural, and economic development in the United States. From this foundation grew institutions, businesses, and networks of commerce that emphasized discipline, entrepreneurship, and community self-reliance. The visibility, discipline, and institution-building of Black Muslims in Chicago also helped normalize and expand public acceptance of Islam in American civic life, creating space for broader Muslim communities to practice their faith more openly. Yet despite this historic legacy and contribution, many Black Muslim entrepreneurs today experience barriers to capital, contracting, and market access that quietly limit their economic presence within the city’s business landscape.
Strengthening transparency, accountability, and fair competition would not only address these longstanding barriers but would also unlock the entrepreneurial potential of a community with a demonstrated tradition of business development, neighborhood investment, and economic cooperation. By ensuring that Black Muslim-owned businesses have equitable access to markets, contracts, and capital, Chicago can honor its own historical legacy while reinforcing a broader commitment to inclusive economic development and vibrant neighborhood economies. In many ways, the economic freedom sought by Black Muslim entrepreneurs today is a continuation of a long Chicago tradition of faith-driven enterprise and community building.
Current context and key data
American identity is often complicated and intersectional. The popular misconception about Muslims among many Americans is that Muslims are most commonly people of Arab and South Asian ethnicities. In fact, 20-25% of the American Muslim population is Black. Even in the early 20th century, when Islam had little presence in most parts of the United States, the religion had a foothold in many black urban communities. Today, Black people (not including those of Hispanic descent or mixed race) make up 20% of the country’s overall Muslim population, according to a 2017 Pew Research Center survey.
About half of Black Muslims (49%) are converts to Islam, a relatively high level of conversion. By contrast, only 15% of non-Black Muslims are converts to Islam, and just 6% of Black Christians are converts to Christianity. Black Muslims are like Black Americans overall in that they have high levels of religious commitment. For instance, large majorities of both Black Muslims and Black Christians say religion is very important to them (75% and 84% respectively). This is a higher level of commitment than for non-Black Muslims (62%). Black Muslims are also more likely than other Muslims in the U.S. to perform the five daily prayers (55% vs. 39%).
Chicago and national data together illustrate why this issue deserves mayoral attention.
While the structural barriers facing Black entrepreneurs in general are well documented, far less attention has been given to the compounded challenges experienced by Black Chicagoans who practice Islam. These entrepreneurs often operate at the intersection of racial economic disparities and religious bias, yet this intersection rarely appears explicitly in economic development or civil rights discussions. As a result, forms of discrimination affecting Black Muslim entrepreneurs frequently remain statistically invisible, absorbed into broader racial or religious categories that obscure their distinct experiences.
The data below illustrates the economic disparities facing Black entrepreneurs more broadly, alongside indicators of religious discrimination nationally. When viewed together, these figures help illuminate why Black Chicagoans who practice Islam may encounter layered barriers to capital access, contracting opportunities, and fair market participation within Chicago’s business ecosystem.
Indicator | Figure |
Black share of Chicago population | 29% |
Black share of firms with paid employees | <5% |
Black share of Chicago business sales | <2% |
Higher likelihood of loan denial for Black entrepreneurs | 50% higher |
Venture capital funding received by Black entrepreneurs in Chicagoland | <2% |
CAIR complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab discrimination in 2024 | 8,658 |
Employment discrimination share of CAIR complaints | 15.4% |
FBI-reported hate crime incidents in 2024 | 11,679 |
Victims in FBI 2024 hate crime data | 14,243 |
Issue statement: Economic disenfranchisement, Islamophobia, and market exclusion
At the same time, anti-Muslim bias remains a documented and rising problem nationally, and its economic consequences for Muslim-owned enterprises, particularly Black Muslim businesses, are rarely examined in policy discussions. Chicago is home to one of the largest and most historically significant Black Muslim populations in the United States. For decades, Black Chicagoans who chose Islam as their faith have contributed to the economic vitality of Chicago’s South and West Sides through restaurants, retail establishments, agriculture, distribution networks, publishing, education, and other forms of enterprise rooted in a tradition of self-sufficiency and community development. Institutions connected to the Nation of Islam and broader Muslim entrepreneurial networks have historically encouraged trade, cooperative economics, and the creation of businesses that circulate resources within underserved communities.
Despite this legacy of economic contribution, Black Muslim entrepreneurs and organizations frequently report discriminatory barriers that limit their ability to compete fairly in the marketplace. These barriers can include exclusion from contracting opportunities, denial of access to partnerships or vendor networks, reputational targeting tied to religious identity, and other forms of market gatekeeping that undermine legitimate businesses. The cumulative effect is a form of economic disenfranchisement that restricts the growth and impact of businesses that otherwise contribute to neighborhood stability and employment.
National data reflects the broader climate in which these experiences occur. The Council on American-Islamic Relations reported a record 8,658 complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab discrimination in 2024, with employment discrimination accounting for 15.4 percent of complaints, the largest category. The FBI also reported 11,679 hate-crime incidents involving 14,243 victims nationwide in 2024, confirming that bias-driven harm remains substantial.
Within Chicago, these dynamics take on additional historical and economic significance for Black residents who have embraced Islam as a religious and cultural path. For many Black Chicagoans, Islam has long functioned not only as a faith tradition but also as a framework for moral discipline, community organization, and economic self-determination. When national patterns of anti-Muslim bias intersect with the well-documented structural barriers Black entrepreneurs face in accessing capital, contracts, and markets, the result can be a compounded set of constraints. In this environment, Black Chicagoans who practice Islam may find themselves navigating both racial disparities in entrepreneurship and religious bias, creating additional challenges to full and equitable participation in Chicago’s economic life.
Chicago’s economic heritage and the 'Do for Self' tradition
Chicago also holds a unique place in the history of Black economic development through the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, who established the Nation of Islam’s headquarters in this city and advanced a philosophy of economic self-determination often summarized in the instruction to “Do for Self.” Through this framework, generations of Black citizens who practice Islam in Chicago were encouraged to develop businesses, farms, distribution networks, restaurants, retail establishments, publishing enterprises, and other institutions that would allow communities to build economic stability through enterprise and cooperative trade. These efforts produced one of the most visible examples of organized Black entrepreneurship in the United States during the mid-twentieth century and helped cultivate a tradition of disciplined business development that continues today among many Black Muslim entrepreneurs in Chicago and beyond.
This legacy is not simply religious or cultural, it represents an important chapter in Chicago’s economic history. The entrepreneurial tradition that emerged from this philosophy has contributed jobs, commercial activity, and community investment across many decades. Ensuring that Black Muslim businesses are able to operate free from discrimination, harassment, or anti-competitive exclusion therefore protects not only individual entrepreneurs, but also a longstanding economic tradition rooted in the city itself. Recognizing and safeguarding this legacy aligns with Chicago’s broader commitment to inclusive economic development and the fair participation of all communities in the city’s marketplace.
Policy recommendations
Establish a mayoral task force on fair market access and anti-competitive practices: Create a city-level task force composed of representatives from the Mayor’s Office, the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, the Chicago Commission on Human Relations, civil rights attorneys, economists, and community business leaders. The task force would examine patterns of discriminatory market exclusion, anti-competitive conduct, and barriers to business participation affecting Black entrepreneurs and other marginalized communities, specifically Black Chicagoans who practice Islam.
Create a business civil rights and competition reporting mechanism: Develop a centralized hotline and online portal where business owners can report suspected anti-competitive behavior, discriminatory contracting practices, vendor exclusion, harassment tied to religious identity, or other barriers that interfere with lawful business activity. This mechanism would allow the City to identify patterns rather than treat complaints as isolated incidents.
Conduct pattern-and-practice reviews of market access: Direct the task force to analyze data related to procurement, licensing, vendor participation, financing access, and commercial opportunities to determine whether certain communities are being systematically excluded from participation in Chicago’s business ecosystem.
Provide clear referral pathways for enforcement: When complaints fall outside the direct jurisdiction of the City, the reporting system should provide structured referrals to appropriate enforcement bodies, including the Chicago Commission on Human Relations, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, and federal antitrust authorities.
Publish an annual report on fair business participation in Chicago: Require the task force to produce an annual report documenting complaints received, trends identified, enforcement actions taken, and policy recommendations to strengthen fair competition and equitable market participation across the city.
Call to leadership
Chicago has long been a city where movements for economic dignity and community self-determination have taken root and reshaped the national conversation. At this moment, the City has an opportunity to lead once again by ensuring that the principles of fair competition and inclusive economic participation extend fully to the entrepreneurs who help sustain our neighborhoods. By establishing a framework to examine and address discriminatory and anti-competitive barriers affecting Black businesses, specifically enterprises run by Black Chicagoans who practice Islam, your administration can help safeguard Chicago’s tradition of neighborhood enterprise while strengthening pathways to community wealth. Such leadership would not only reinforce the City’s commitment to equity and economic justice, but would also position Chicago as a national model for how municipalities can protect entrepreneurship, expand opportunity, and ensure that every capable business owner has the ability to compete and contribute to the prosperity of the city.
Conclusion
Chicago’s economic future depends upon the strength, innovation, and full participation of its entrepreneurs. When capable businesses are prevented, whether openly or quietly, from competing on fair terms, the city loses economic activity, job creation, and neighborhood investment. This reality carries particular weight for Black Chicagoans who practice Islam. For generations, this community has emphasized discipline, entrepreneurship, and the principle of “Do for Self”, a tradition that encourages building businesses, circulating wealth locally, and strengthening the neighborhoods in which we live. Yet, despite this longstanding commitment to economic contribution and community development, many Black Chicagoans who practice Islam continue to encounter barriers to contracts, capital, and market access that are widely understood but rarely addressed directly in economic policy discussions.
Addressing anti-competitive conduct and discriminatory market exclusion is therefore not only a matter of fairness, it is an investment in Chicago’s long-term economic vitality. When entrepreneurial communities that are deeply committed to business ownership, neighborhood stability, and economic self-reliance are able to compete on equal footing, the benefits extend far beyond individual firms. Jobs are created, local commerce expands, and communities gain stronger institutions rooted in responsibility and service. Ensuring fair competition is therefore both a civil rights obligation and a strategic economic imperative. By strengthening transparency, accountability, and equitable market participation, Chicago has an opportunity to unlock the full potential of entrepreneurs who are already committed to building stronger neighborhoods and a more resilient city. Supporting fair access to opportunity for Black Chicagoans who practice Islam is not simply an act of inclusion, it is an affirmation of Chicago’s own history as a city shaped by faith-driven enterprise, community responsibility, and the enduring spirit of self-determination.
Chicago has the opportunity to demonstrate that when a city removes quiet barriers to opportunity, communities long committed to building for themselves will help build a stronger future for everyone.
Read more from Sajdah Wendy Muhammad
Sajdah Wendy Muhammad, Business Advisor
Wendy Muhammad is a multi-million-dollar business developer, Author of the best-selling book, The Art and Science of Business, an Award-Winning Urban Historic Preservationist and Real Estate Developer, with more than $500 million in projects across healthcare, real estate, infrastructure, and community development. Muhammad is a leading voice in empowering entrepreneurs and building generational wealth. Her Mind of an Entrepreneur brand includes podcasts, workshops, and books that blend strategy, spirituality, and economic empowerment
