INDUSTRY CITY — Black entrepreneurs make up 3.5% of New York City’s businesses, despite making up more than 20% of its population. Renae Bluitt, curator and founder of She Did That, a platform for Black women entrepreneurs, is attempting to alter those statistics.
The She Did That Holiday Bazaar, sponsored by beauty brand Shea Moisture and geared to amplify Black-owned brands from the New York City tristate area, took place on the afternoon of Dec. 1 and sold more than 600 tickets.
The seventh annual one-day shopping experience hosted a variety of businesses from retail sectors that included home, beauty, wellness, food and beverage and clothing. In addition, this year also debuted He Did That, spotlighting Black men-owned businesses.
Rising to the challenge
According to Bluitt, 2023 and 2024 have been pretty challenging times for small businesses, particularly black-owned businesses.
“That’s why events like this are so important,” Bluitt said. “Our community and the relationships we are able to build — that is our social currency. That is honestly more valuable than someone just dumping money into your business.”
Bluitt added, “It’s also about being self-sufficient, elevating each other as businesses and creating your own opportunities.”
Bluitt pointed out that what is unique about a Black-owned business is that Black business owners bring creativity and innovation into the business world, noting that “we’ve always turned water into wine.”
According to the Census Bureau, in 2023, there were an estimated 161,031 Black-owned businesses in New York City. In Brooklyn, Bedford-Stuyvesant has the greatest number of registered Black-owned…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply