An anonymous local donor is making Black Friday into a special occasion for some black folks in Madison.
The donor reached out to Sabrina Madison, the organizer of tomorrow’s Black Business Expo Black Friday Edition, last week to offer a donation of $3,000 to help local families shop at the Expo.
“They were very specific,” Madison says. “They wanted the money spent by black folks especially, and to go for the black entrepreneurs.”
Madison in turn reached out to the YWCA and Madison Urban Ministries to connect the money with families in need.
“When the donor approached me, my goal was for a portion of it to go to people in transitional housing,” something that she and her son experienced in the past, she says.
“A lot of kids in that situation don’t want gifts for themselves, but they want to get gifts for their parents,” Madison says. “They just want their families to be happy.”
Madison says the first donor inspired another anonymous donor to contribute another $150.
Madison estimates that the $3,150 will be distributed to about 12 families and five individuals in the form of vouchers to be spent exclusively at the Black Business Expo Black Friday Edition tomorrow.
“It has a big impact” for families in need, she says.
“Until black lives are thriving in this city, our family is hurting,” says the donor. “Because the truth is, we are one human family. A rainbow is not complete without all its hues. They make it beautiful and whole. We all are worthy of love, prosperity, happiness, safety, wellbeing and the capacity to make our dreams come true. We don’t have an issue of race in Madison – we have an issue of racism and the answer to it is love – love that is put into action with how we spend our local dollars. Investing in black, brown and indigenous businesses is a love-issue. So if you care about love, this issue is your issue. Our crew wants to see black families in Madison thriving and filled with love’s sparkle. Giving people who have been oppressed for hundreds of years some money to invest in their own community is an investment in ending racism. It’s a tiny way to say, ‘I see you, I love you, I celebrate you, I’m glad you’re here and I want to see you flourish. And though I can never make right what has been done to you by people who look like me – even what continues to be done to you by people who look like me – I am committed to your future. We are one.’ To our way of looking at it, we have a chance to bring joy and help catalyze an upward spiral based on love, abundance and success. Imagine what we could accomplish if everyone in Madison came together to help create a Madison that is as wonderful for black people as it is for white people? Imagine creating a Madison where we recognize our oneness by ensuring that all our family members have ready access to all they need to flourish and to contribute to the community? Imagine if we could heal racism and have a better, stronger economy?”
The Black Business Expo Black Friday Edition takes place from 10 am until 3 pm Friday, November 25, at The Village on Park, 2300 South Park Street in Madison. About 60 local black-owned business will be there selling a wide variety of goods and services.
