Final answer:
During the Depression, black businesses struggled because the purchasing power of their black clientele declined significantly more than that of white clientele, as black workers faced higher rates of unemployment and wage disparity.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Depression, black businesses had a harder time than white businesses because their black clientele's purchasing power declined even more than that of white clientele. Black Americans were already experiencing economic disadvantages due to racial discrimination. As the Depression worsened, black workers, who were more frequently unemployed or earning less than their white counterparts, had even less money to spend, which negatively impacted black-owned businesses.