RUSH TRANSCRIPT The Coronavirus ░░░░░░░░ has been devastating for ░░░░░░░░ businesses but black owned ░░░░░░░░ have been particularly hard ░░░░░░░░ According to The Washington ░░░░░░░░ 40 of black businesses ░░░░░░░░ already shut down because ░░░░░░░░ Covid 19 Now this ░░░░░░░░ not the first time ░░░░░░░░ black owned businesses have ░░░░░░░░ down in disproportionate numbers ░░░░░░░░ study from the U ░░░░░░░░ Census bureau found fewer ░░░░░░░░ half of black owned ░░░░░░░░ survived the Great Recession ░░░░░░░░ some black business owners ░░░░░░░░ facing another setback property ░░░░░░░░ from looting and damages ░░░░░░░░ took a video of ░░░░░░░░ salon flora hair designs ░░░░░░░░ to the ground Joining ░░░░░░░░ now flora Westbrooks Thank ░░░░░░░░ for joining me this ░░░░░░░░ You opened 35 years ░░░░░░░░ in 1985 You work ░░░░░░░░ with your sister and ░░░░░░░░ niece as stylists What ░░░░░░░░ you thinking when you ░░░░░░░░ your shop burn down ░░░░░░░░ was just in disbelief ░░░░░░░░ t believe it that ░░░░░░░░ was happening to me ░░░░░░░░ there so long in ░░░░░░░░ community and just you ░░░░░░░░ crying and wondering why ░░░░░░░░ would this happen to ░░░░░░░░ because I thought it ░░░░░░░░ a great community that ░░░░░░░░ was working in for ░░░░░░░░ those years and I ░░░░░░░░ thought anything like this ░░░░░░░░ happen How do you ░░░░░░░░ about the context in ░░░░░░░░ it happened Are you ░░░░░░░░ supportive of the protests ░░░░░░░░ have been going on ░░░░░░░░ I am You know ░░░░░░░░ this has been going ░░░░░░░░ for years police brutality ░░░░░░░░ you know it s ░░░░░░░░ going on so long ░░░░░░░░ we need you know ░░░░░░░░ have to support each ░░░░░░░░ But not where you ░░░░░░░░ looting and burning their ░░░░░░░░ down I don t ░░░░░░░░ with that That s ░░░░░░░░ only thing I don ░░░░░░░░ agree with Talk to ░░░░░░░░ about what happened on ░░░░░░░░ night of the fire ░░░░░░░░ was may 29th You ░░░░░░░░ a call around 7 ░░░░░░░░ P M You weren ░░░░░░░░ at the shop obviously ░░░░░░░░ because we were still ░░░░░░░░ My business was closed ░░░░░░░░ of the Coronavirus So ░░░░░░░░ were just about to ░░░░░░░░ on Monday And I ░░░░░░░░ a call around 7 ░░░░░░░░ and my cousin had ░░░░░░░░ me and said oh ░░░░░░░░ granddaughter is up there ░░░░░░░░ Shaun his business is ░░░░░░░░ fire So that s ░░░░░░░░ son so I know ░░░░░░░░ m like two doors ░░░░░░░░ from Shaun And when ░░░░░░░░ go up there I ░░░░░░░░ could not believe what ░░░░░░░░ saw I could not ░░░░░░░░ would never never in ░░░░░░░░ life imagine seeing something ░░░░░░░░ horrifying like that That ░░░░░░░░ really really hurt me ░░░░░░░░ see our business Not ░░░░░░░░ my business but my ░░░░░░░░ s business and there ░░░░░░░░ a business in between ░░░░░░░░ And we lost everything ░░░░░░░░ We don t have ░░░░░░░░ Is that your building ░░░░░░░░ that s my building ░░░░░░░░ My boys were trying ░░░░░░░░ board it up And ░░░░░░░░ s my building right ░░░░░░░░ You have insurance on ░░░░░░░░ No No found out ░░░░░░░░ don t No So ░░░░░░░░ don t know what ░░░░░░░░ re going to do ░░░░░░░░ just don t know ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ There s a gofundme ░░░░░░░░ Is that being helpful ░░░░░░░░ it s going slowly ░░░░░░░░ you know it s ░░░░░░░░ I mean I think ░░░░░░░░ what they have done ░░░░░░░░ support but if it ░░░░░░░░ just go a little ░░░░░░░░ because I know it ░░░░░░░░ going to take over ░░░░░░░░ 000 to rebuild our ░░░░░░░░ And you know I ░░░░░░░░ sorry I didn t ░░░░░░░░ to interrupt you ma ░░░░░░░░ That s okay That ░░░░░░░░ okay I m never ░░░░░░░░ of words I don ░░░░░░░░ know what I can ░░░░░░░░ you flora I m ░░░░░░░░ that you lost your ░░░░░░░░ and I hope that ░░░░░░░░ are able to rebuild ░░░░░░░░ you for joining me ░░░░░░░░ morning Thank you Flora ░░░░░░░░ is the owner