RACIAL POLITICS - DOES IT PAY

If the urban areas where black mayors preside offer greater business o pportunities, relative to other metropolitan areas, then performance o f black-owned firms should reflect this difference in business environ ments. The results of this study indicate that black-owned firms in ur ban areas with black mayors (1) have greater total sales, (2) are larg er regarding average firm sales and employment, and (3) have lower bus iness failure rates relative to their cohorts in urban areas with no b lack mayor.