Urban Triage hosted its fourth annual Summer Kickback event on Saturday, July 20. Around 1,000 attendees came out to Penn Park on Madison’s South Side to enjoy free food, music, and games and check out select Black-owned businesses that set up shop. The annual event was completely free as Urban Triage aims to create a safe, accessible space where families can enjoy themselves without worrying about costs.
“Kids are running around being free, celebrating and enjoying themselves without limitation. They get to run and go wherever they want,” said Brandi Grayson, founder and CEO of Urban Triage. “To be able to come to a community event where you can get as much ice cream as you want, eat good food, unlimited water and drink, all kinds of rides and activities without having to worry about your budget is, for me, the bedrock of what a community looks like.”
Urban Triage serves community members throughout Dane County, providing various resources, including housing support, resource linkage, advocacy, youth housing and supportive services, community engagement events & outreach, and environmental justice education.
The free aspect of the annual Summer Kickback event is something Grayson stresses the importance of. She points to the disproportionalities in Black communities being overworked while making less to make ends meet. Grayson likens the Urban Triages framework to the Black Panther’s movement which pushed to serve the community with free resources — like its proto-WIC Free Breakfast for School Children Program and People’s Free Food Program.
(Photo by Omar Waheed.)
The Summer Kickback brought out plenty of activities for children ranging from rock climbing walls, a mobile arcade, bubble blowing, bounce houses, dancing and many other activities. Options for adults were present too with bingo games offering cash prizes, dancing and concerts. All attendees were given free food and unlimited water.
Vendors were also present at the annual Summer Kickback with goods ranging from body and hair care to food, clothes and beauty. Businesses, all Black-owned, were excited to be in a space centered on the Black community and seeing an opportunity to enjoy themselves for free.
“You look around and you see everybody here. You see different races walk around, everybody’s walking around enjoying themselves. Everybody’s conversating, having a good time. That’s what it’s all about right there — bringing communities together,” said Lonnell Richardson, founder of Ancestral Tribe. “This is what Ancestral Tribe is all about, so we feel right at home here.”
Ancestral Tribe is an all-natural hair and body care business. Richardson shared a booth with Lakisha Johnson, owner of Unique Hair Accessories, to sell their range of goods but sees the Summer Kickback as something that his own business embodies in promoting community, or a “tribe,” as they call it.
Another vendor, Natural One Beauty, a Madison-based vegan skincare brand, was happy to see his business flourish at the Kickback.
“It’s something to be proud of,” said Curtis Price, owner of Natural One Beauty. “The community is actually coming out to my table and buying from me, which I really appreciate. It’s great to see the community come together.”
