Did anyone back in history ever think that Apartheid and Jim Crow was dumb from an economic standpoint?

We have been studying about these two terrible times in world history and I don't understand how no one back then looked at it from an economic standpoint that rather you like Blacks or Whites you should still accommodate both to make more money for your business...DUH?!?...You can hate the race all you wont, but you would think you would still want there money? Why didn't people think like this at the time?