The Black Dollar Market is returning for its fifth installment on April 23rd at the Living Room located at 495 Hollywood Street from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is $10.
The event will feature up-and-coming Black business owners from more than 20 cities. According to Christopher Craig, owner of Living Room, he had been doing pop-ups since 2020. However, he noticed that the spaces were not only predominantly white, but Black people seemed to be missing from the hosting aspect as well. He said there were never any events geared towards Black people.
The Black Dollar Market was the result of a drunken thought that Craig had after leaving a pop-up, he said.
A business owner himself, Craig has always hosted events in his space because he not only wanted to be a “bridge point” where people can be themselves, but he also wanted to provide a way for his own items to be showcased. He describes the Living Room as a “Black Ikea,” where everything is made by him, and is for sale.
“I feel like it’s hard for up-and-coming businesses to get the ball rolling and to keep it going,” said Craig. “The first year or two is going to be an uphill battle.”
According to a February 2023 report published by Pew Research Center, 58 percent of Black adults said “supporting Black businesses, or “buying Black,” is an extremely or very effective strategy for moving Black people toward equality in the United States.
Craig is currently still accepting vendors, but here are a few who will be featured at the event.
Love King Clothing
Larry Kelly is a Memphis native, and the head designer for Love King Clothing. The fashion designer runs an online boutique, and occasionally sells at pop-up events in areas like Nashville and Little Rock since he currently does not have a storefront.
According to Kelly, Love King Clothing is known for its unique designs. The brand was started back in 2013, but Kelly said he was recently inspired by other vendors to take his business more seriously, and to put his “best foot forward.”
Kelly said he has always had a “passion for fashion,” and that he’s a sneakerhead at heart.
“I most definitely try to keep up with the latest trends, and I start the trends,” Kelly said.
Customers can expect to see new releases such as t-shirts, swimwear, and other special surprises alongside “good vibes.”
Olajide Ibitoye
Olajide Ibitoye is a Memphis-based abstract contouring artist who mainly focuses on jewelry and alchemical fashion.
“Essentially, the fact that a lot of my jewelry doubles as other pieces is like a focal point in the creation process,” said Ibitoye. “The fact that it can be two, three, four, or five other things; that’s a really important thing that people who patronize my business know that it is really up to them, what they want their jewelry to be perceived of.”
Ibitoye has been in business for almost two years, and said that he actually began making jewelry after a friend sent him a TikTok of someone making a “really shitty” nose cuff. He said they went to Walmart and got pliers and wires, and he took it from there, making jewelry for every body part.
It’s a labor of love and curiosity, as he is always looking for ways to “remix” pieces. He operates atelier-style, making “one-of-one” pieces. “That informs my process,” said Ibitoye. “Everything is literally touched by my hand, so I feel like I infuse a different energy in my pieces as well.”
Sage Roses
Sage Roses is “a holistic experience curated for the gworls,” said co-founder Destiny Janee.
The brand has been around since June of 2022, and is run by Janee and her business partner Dominique Berner. Janee explained they are a holistic lifestyle brand that specializes in making organic products.
They primarily focus on herbal health, selling bath teas, drinking teas, and herbal smoking blends.
“Herbal health isn’t talked about,” said Janee. “We started out as a CBD/THC business, and we don’t feel like women aren’t represented in that industry. Our tagline is ‘for the gworls, by the gworls,’ because everything we create is targeted for women. Especially women of color, and Black women like ourselves.”
Janee said they don’t believe in “putting stuff out just to put it out.” She added they can’t be a holistic lifestyle brand if they don’t know the benefits of their own product, and they pride themselves on knowing what every herb in their product does.