Vendor Market comes to Charlottesville to highlight Black-owned businesses

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - On Saturday afternoon in Charlottesville, food vendors, jewelry-makers, and clothing designers all set up shop at the African American Heritage Center.

Those who organized the event hope the market could be one simple way to support and uplift Black entrepreneurs in Charlottesville.

Cordell Fortune, who owns the Fortune Shop planned the Vendor Market.

Fortune’s hope is that the Vendor Market will highlight black-owned businesses in Charlottesville.

“Black Businesses should be supported because we’re not supported enough,” said Eric Jones, who helped with the event.

Merci Best, one vendor, and owner of Steamkitx, is working to introduce black children to the STEM field. She adds an “a” to that well-known acronym to include the arts.

“The pandemic has disproportionally affected the Black and brown community. We are just so honored to be here with our Steamkitx because we know learning loss has been a huge thing during the pandemic,” said Best.

Another vendor, Denashya Miller sold coloring illustrations of Black children in professions, they may not see themselves in regularly.

“Supporting Black-owned businesses is definitely important, just to show kids or anybody that anything is possible. Any goal that you have can be attainable and can be reached,” said Miller, owner of Be Youu Brand.

Event organizers ask people from all walks of life to uplift Black-owned business owners in various ways.

“It’s about support, support is not always in the form of buying or giving your money,” said Jones.

He says, simply passing a business card from a Black-owned business to a friend can make a difference.

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