Waukegan Beauty Supply Store Targeted by Solo Protest; Demonstrator Urges Support for Black-Owned Businesses

WAUKEGAN, Ill. — A solo protest outside an Asian-owned beauty supply store in Waukegan has drawn attention after a video circulated online showing a demonstrator urging residents to stop shopping at Asian-owned beauty supply businesses and instead support Black-owned alternatives.

According to the individual who recorded the video, the protest took place Saturday outside a beauty supply store in a shopping plaza off Lewis Avenue. The protester said he was exercising his First Amendment rights and claimed he was encouraging the community to redirect its spending toward Black-owned businesses.

The demonstrator alleged that Asian-owned beauty supply stores profit from predominantly Black communities without giving back locally. During the protest, he said the store owner confronted him and asked why he was protesting. The protester claimed he responded that his goal was to drive the business out of the community.

Police were called to the scene, and the protester said officers informed the store owner that the demonstration was protected under the First Amendment, provided it remained peaceful and did not violate any laws. No arrests or citations were mentioned in the video.

The protester also encouraged shoppers to visit a Black-owned beauty supply store on Sunset Avenue instead, saying it was located just a few blocks away. He expressed disappointment that some customers chose to continue shopping at the Asian-owned store despite his efforts to persuade them otherwise.

The incident has sparked discussion on social media about economic empowerment, community investment, and consumer choice. While peaceful protest is protected under the U.S. Constitution, business owners also retain the right to operate their businesses free from harassment or unlawful interference. Community members remain divided, with some supporting calls to invest more intentionally in Black-owned businesses and others emphasizing that purchasing decisions should remain a matter of personal choice.