The news about Walgreens closing stores in Chicago is bad news, and day by day it’s getting worse. The latest being that in the next few weeks, five Walgreens in Chicago neighborhoods will be closing their doors, locking them closed, and covering up their windows, while having no plans to unlock the doors or uncover the windows ever again, because, Walgreens says, business is bad and the stores are losing too much money. The worst of the news is that all five stores being closed are on the West and South Sides of Chicago, serving Black and brown minority residents, including senior residents, who soon will have to walk a mile or more to pick up their medical prescriptions. Seniors living in South Shore, Bronzeville, and Little Village who are sad and frightened about losing their Walgreens. What Walgreens is not saying is that it’s millions of dollars in yearly profits are enough, maybe even more than enough, to pay for deliveries, or at least keep their stores open a few hours a day to fill and deliver urgent prescriptions. What I say is: Hey, dear Walgreens, how about doing something really good? Those stores in minority neighborhoods, keep them open indefinitely. Or to be really, really good, keep them open permanently.

Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective: