Flint, MI—Dozens of Flint-based entrepreneurs and vendors will join together for the “Black Dollar Black History Month Social,” this Friday, Feb. 24, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Flint Farmers’ Market.
The free event, presented by local clothing and lifestyle brand Black Amor, will feature vendors with offerings ranging from handmade candles and food to aesthetic services from a certified nurse and a panel discussion highlighting the experiences of Black entrepreneurs in Flint.
“My intention is to get people to realize the things that you’re searching for outside of Flint are actually here,” said Terance Green, the founder of Black Amor. “The majority of people I see that leave always say there’s nothing here, and it’s like, ‘Are you supporting what’s here?’”
As an entrepreneur himself, Green said he wants the event to both celebrate the success of fellow Flint business owners and help establish a more collaborative network for them to look to for insight and support.
The end goal is to build wealth for the city, he said, by raising awareness about businesses here and opening up dialogue about what Black entrepreneurs need to succeed.
“If we don’t communicate problems, we can’t find solutions,” Green said, adding that he wants to offer a new kind of event for Black History Month that balances celebration with raw conversation.
“We don’t just have to have fun or just have to be serious,” Green said. “What about the lane of mixing them both together? What if we could have fun and have some acknowledgment and be empowering and fulfilling and inspired all at the same time?”
The event’s panel discussion will feature a mix of entrepreneurs and specialists from different backgrounds and fields.
“I wanna show how people are completely different in their area, but it still somehow ties together,” Green said. “You wouldn’t think a panel of a therapist, an educator, a dental hygienist, a real estate investor, an actor and all these things at one table having a discussion, but it still ties to the same thing.”
Just as the panel features people of different backgrounds, Green said the event is open to everyone.
“It’s not just for Black people,” he said. “You’re welcome to come in and have a good time. We’re not trying to seclude from you. It’s just, at the moment in history, I know for a fact Black people need financial literacy … Black people specifically have always been surviving and not living, and I’m trying to get people to understand there’s a difference. If everybody works as a collective and understands, everybody can live and just not survive.”
The Black Dollar Black History Month Social event does not require registration, but those interested in becoming a vendor can email info@blkamor.com.
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