Minding My Black-Owned Business returns for its fourth run with local Black vendors in a pop-up style market at the Elver Park Neighborhood Center.
The annual pop-up market is put on by Wisconsin Youth Company, a nonprofit based in Dane and Waukesha Counties that provides before and after-school programming for youth. Minding My Black-Owned Business brings local Black and brown small businesses together in a central location.
“We thought, what a great way to celebrate Black History Month, by not only focusing on all the successes within Black History, but on the current events as well, and really uplifting Black and Brown business owners,” said Rebecca Carlin, CEO of Wisconsin Youth Company.
The event has continuously grown throughout its four years, Carlin said. She now sees people from all over Madison come to the far West Side and has vendors that have attended every year.
Vendors range in a variety of goods with over 30 in attendance this year. Goods available include beauty products, kids’ toys, clothes and many more.
The set up is a pop-up market style where each vendor will have its own booth around the entirety of the gym at Elver Park Neighborhood Center for easy perusing of all that’s offered.
For Wisconsin Youth Company, they find it a great way to spotlight everything going on with the community that may go unseen.
“Elevating our Black and Brown community is a big piece of the work that we do,” Carlin said. “A lot of times, we talk about working to create equity in our community, but I also think it’s working to highlight and showcase all the amazing talents and amazing ideas and creativity that we have in our community.”
In addition to the market, a raffle will be held every 30 minutes with items donated from vendors and gift cards.
Minding My Black-Owned Business will be held at Elver Park Neighborhood Center, 1201 McKenna Blvd., Feb. 21 from 12-3 p.m.
