South Sacramento Celebrates Local Businesses With Buy Black Friday
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Business owners in south Sacramento celebrated Black Friday by featuring local black businesses in Northern California.
"We have to depend on the hearts of the people to support us," said Dana Maeshia, one of the Black Friday Coalition organizers. "We have to start out small."
With line dancing, lemonade and oxtails, it wasn't your average day-after-Thanksgiving celebration. But this party took the meaning of Black Friday to a whole new level.
"Buy black, build black, support black," said Berry Accius, another organizer with the Black Friday Coalition. "We're making an impact showing African Americans we know how to shop with each other, we know how to build with other."
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More than 100 black-owned businesses showcased their products and services for people in their community. Everything from hair care products to artwork to clothing.
"One of my favorites is this 'Curl La La,'" said Anissa Walker. "I love using this product with oil and water and it just gives us that nice little curly bounce to it."
Walker opened up Nubian Family Beauty Supply last year and loves the idea of celebrating black-owned businesses on the biggest shopping holiday of the year.
"That's how we're here: By having all the love and support from everyone else," she said.
Her business partner Maeshia helped created the Black Friday Coalition in an effort to bring merchants and customers face to face.
"What we want to do is create communities where they are sustainable and viable," Maeshia said. "And in order to do that, we have to have businesses in there thriving."
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She and her team say they see businesses in Asian and Latino communities supported by the people who live there, but see many black businesses struggling to survive.
"We're up against a lot of big corporations that kind of shadow us," said Janee Neechelle, owner of Plush Royalty Massage and Spa.
Neechelle says her biggest challenge has been figuring out how to expand her company, but she's determined to set a good example.
"A lot of our community needs to see that we can do positive things too," she said.
And from the looks of the first annual Buy Black Friday, Accius believes they're off to a good start.
"To say that we hit a home run is an understatement," Accius said.
