Nonprofit claims Columbia bar scrutiny part of wider targeting of Black-owned businesses

A Columbia nonprofit asserts that the scrutiny of Reign Bar is part of a broader pattern of Black-owned businesses being singled out amid public safety concerns in downtown Columbia. The group, Race Matters, Friends, plans to address what it calls state and municipal targeting during a virtual press conference Monday.

The announcement by Race Matters, Friends signals that the dispute over Reign Bar is being framed as one instance within a larger pattern of regulatory attention directed at Black-owned establishments in Columbia’s downtown district. The nonprofit’s planned virtual press conference suggests an effort to publicly challenge the rationale behind recent inspections or enforcement actions, linking them to broader questions of equity in local business oversight. Without further details, the situation highlights how public safety measures can intersect with concerns about racial bias in commercial regulation, particularly in gentrifying urban cores where minority-owned venues often face heightened visibility.