During Black History Month, each of the Black Wall Street Forward communities held events to share the details of their strategic visions and uplift Black entrepreneurship in their communities. We asked our Ecosystem Builders-In-Residence (EBIRs) to reflect on the events and share their vision for the future of Black Wall Street Forward in each of their communities. In this blog, we’ll hear from our Charlotte, Fayetteville, and Winston-Salem EBIRs.
Harrison Williams
Charlotte Ecosystem Builder-In-Residence
On February 24th, The Black Wall Street Forward Charlotte Council alongside the Community Building Initiative (CBI) hosted a public screening entitled, You Are Not Crazy: Arguing Black Entrepreneurship as a Public Health Issue through a Mental Health Lens. You are Not Crazy is a community survey turned into a short documentary where audience members learned about the mental health journey of local Black entrepreneurs. The screening included a community panel and discussion.
Q: What were you most inspired by during your event?
A: I was inspired by the collective community healing that took place after the documentary screening and the panel discussion. People felt affirmed that they were not crazy in their experiences doing business within the city as a Black person.
Q: What is your personal vision for BWSF in your community?
A: I believe that BWSF will be a catalyst that provides capacity to community members to launch their community-led initiatives to create change within their local ecosystems. BWSF would also act as a connecting hub for the practitioners to learn from each other's strategies that worked within their respective communities.
Q: What do you think needs to happen next to move towards that vision?
A: I believe what will help us move forward towards that vision is to continue to support the current local initiatives and organizers and to build more capacity for other community members to get into the work.
Lee Gray
Fayetteville Ecosystem Builder-In-Residence
On February 26th, the BWSF-Fayetteville team and the Tulsa Initiative hosted a day of inspiration, collaboration, and a chance for small business owners to elevate their business to new heights during the Black Wall Street Forward dinner and pitch competition. The no cost event featured dinner, Black history and business in Fayetteville, and an opportunity to compete for valuable cash prizes.
Q: What were you most inspired by during your event?
A: I was most inspired by the contestants. Some of whom were very well prepared with slide decks and rehearsed pitches. And others who were very early in their startup journey but with a passion and vision for their idea. They each had such courage and belief in the impact they can make with their startups.
Q: What is your personal vision for BWSF in your community?
A: My personal vision is that a supportive network of organizations, businesses, and individual thought leaders develops to strengthen the Black-owned businesses in Fayetteville and lead to a sustainable community. My vision is for anyone within our Black community with passion and work ethic to be able to start and sustain a small business with the guidance and tangible support to be successful, and without the limitations and economic violence that we systemically face today.
Q: What do you think needs to happen next to move towards that vision?
A:
- We need to magnify and amplify what's really happening. The statistics tell the story. We are less likely to get approved for small business loans, at higher interest rates, and for lower amounts of funding. We don't have the same level of access to VC investors, grant opportunities, or financial literacy training, among many other limitations.
- We need to mobilize for change among ourselves and with our allies. This change needs to be actionable on all levels - at the community and neighborhood level, in our churches and schools, in local, state, and federal government, and within the businesses in our community. Everyone can do SOMEthing. We all need to step into these roles with a long term commitment. It needs to become a part of our culture and value system.
- We need to get and STAY in community. Through routine meetings, some with hard agendas and others to just connect and uplift one another on a regular basis.
"Everyone can do SOMEthing. We all need to step into these roles with a long term commitment."
Lee Gray, Fayetteville EBIR
Toni Barnes
Winston-Salem Ecosystem Builder-In-Residence
"The Black Wall Street Experience" was an extraordinary occasion on February 19th, where the BWSF Winston-Salem team presented a city-specific strategic vision designed to uplift and empower our Black businesses and community in Winston-Salem. As a centerpiece of this initiative, they introduced a digital asset called the Black Wall Street Experience, aiming to support, enhance, and add value to Black businesses, Winston-Salem’s Black community, and the community at large.
Q: What were you most inspired by during your event?
A: Is it cliche to say everything?! I was inspired by the number of registrants and attendees. It showed me that people are interested in learning more about Black businesses and how to support them. I was inspired by how attentive the audience was which continues to reinforce that people want to know about ways to support Black businesses. One of the most important things to happen at the Black Wall Street Experience event was the feedback activity. Everyone participated! From the feedback provided, it seems the community that was in the room was on board with the vision proposed and wanted to contribute in some way to its development.
Q: What is your personal vision for BWSF in your community?
A: My personal vision is that the Winston-Salem community and its institutions rally behind the proposed Black Wall Street Experience. Having a digital asset owned by the Black community of Winston-Salem could be one of the first steps to bringing equity and justice to Black businesses of Winston-Salem after a long history of the opposite.
Q: What do you think needs to happen next to move towards that vision?
A: The next thing to happen is a meeting to gather those who are just as serious about developing Black Wall Street Experience as I am. This digital asset is currently in need of funding and a development committee. Thus, I am working toward gathering financial support and a group of dedicated individuals and organizations in hopes to launch this year.
The Black Wall Street Forward initiative aims to reshape narratives, engage community leaders and entrepreneurs, and foster sustainable, equitably invested, Black-centric entrepreneurial communities.
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