On Sunday, September 22, Alkeme will host its first-ever Black on State Block Party, a gathering that celebrates and spotlights Black creators and creators of color in Madison. Held in partnership with the city’s Business Improvement District, festivities will take place on the 400-600 blocks of State Street from 12 to 6 p.m.
The Black on State Block Party is an extension of the creative network that Alkeme has been building since 2020. With the slogan “where melanated creatives thrive,” Alkeme’s mission is to “uplift and support creators and entrepreneurs here in Madison any way we can,” founder Ashley Moseberry explained.
Over the years, this has looked like sharing information about gig opportunities, vending opportunities, speaking engagements, space rentals, and more.
Black on State is built on four pillars: creativity, diversity, economic growth, and collaboration. Moseberry is particularly dedicated to uplifting the BIPOC-owned brick and mortars that are already downtown, in addition to bringing in businesses from other parts of the city.
As a whole, the celebration is an opportunity to “bring different types of events downtown that we usually don’t see,” Moseberry said. As a Black woman, Moseberry says that she’s experienced her fair share of microaggressions while spending time in downtown Madison. Sometimes, even when she’s allowed to be in a space, her presence isn’t fully welcomed or embraced.
“That’s just the reality that a lot of people [of color] are feeling, and I think that’s why a lot of people of color tend to stay away from downtown, outside of college students,” she said.
Black on State is working to change all of this: In addition to bringing more foot traffic downtown, Moseberry sees herself and other BIPOC creatives as “vibe setters” for the area.
“Black on State is a great opportunity for us to really take it to the next level, because it’s one thing to be in a venue and to not be seen and to not be heard and have your attendees know what you’re doing, [and it’s another] to be in the heart of downtown Madison,” she explained.
“[We’re going to be] unapologetically creative, unapologetically showing our culture, and showing everyone in the community that what we’re doing is important.”
Moseberry strongly believes in the role that creatives play in shaping broader culture, and thinks that this work goes unacknowledged most of the time.
“The culture that Black creatives and other creatives of color bring to this city is so important,” she said. “It’s ingrained in the growth and how hip [and] cool Madison [is]. It hasn’t received love and support that is needed for it to thrive.”
With a goal of “disrupting the norm” downtown, Black on State will feature activation stations like a “Fit Check,” host live painters, vendors, food trucks, and more. There will also be a kid friendly area hosted by the Madison Children’s Museum.
“We just want to be as unapologetic and loud and proud as possible,” Moseberry emphasized.
With sponsorships from city institutions like the Overture Center for the Arts and M3 Insurance, Moseberry is proud to demonstrate how Black on State fits into the fabric of the larger Madison community.
“It’s important for us to get support and mutually beneficial relationships from these bigger companies because it shows that our community is involved,” she explained. “It makes us realize that the work that we’re doing and our vision is aligned with a lot of companies.”
At the end of the day, Moseberry is looking forward to gathering as many people as possible at the block party and “bringing that touch that downtown hasn’t seen before.”
“[We’re] allowing ourselves to be comfortable, but also inviting community members that regularly visit the downtown area to be involved in something that’s unapologetically creative, that’s tapped into culture,” she said.
Moseberry also hopes that spotlighting this kind of creative and entrepreneurial success will inspire others to tap into their talents, too.
“[We want people to] be inspired to start that business that maybe they’ve been holding off on for years and to connect with other entrepreneurs and creatives,” she said. “We want people to get from this and just see that we’re stronger together.”
Black on State organizers invite those interested to sign up as day-of volunteers via this Google Form, or by reaching out on Facebook or Instagram.
