Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism

Corner Storesis a 25-minute documentary about Arab-owned corner stores in predominantly poor, black neighborhoods in Chicago. Told through the eyes of a Palestinian corner storeowner and his predominantly African American customers,Corner Storesdives into the complex economic and racial matrix raging beneath Chicago’s inner city.

Englewood remains one of the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago’s south side. Due to the neighborhood’s low median household income, large-scale grocery stores moved out of the neighborhood and left corner stores as a replacement. Despite being predominantly African American, the majority of these businesses are not black owned.

This was not always the case. With white flight in the 1960s and 1970s, blacks began moving into the neighborhood and taking over businesses. But with the influx of drugs in the 1980s, blacks began moving out of the neighborhood and selling their businesses off to Arab-immigrants.

Abu Muhammad is such a corner storeowner. A Palestinian refugee from Gaza, 67-year-old Abu Muhammad spent his life wandering from country to country – where he could find work. He finally immigrated to the US in the early 90s. After starting out in the fast food business, he switched over and bought a corner store. Unlike his counterparts, however, he refuses to sell alcohol and employs people from the community.

At the intersection of the Middle East and the Midwestern US, “Corner Stores" offers an intimate glimpse into the relationship between one Palestinian corner storeowner and his predominantly African American customers in Chicago’s inner city.