4th annual Black Luxe Expo returns to High Point Saturday

LIVE GUEST DANCING INTO OUR NEXT INTERVIEW. THIS SATURDAY MARKS THE FOURTH ANNUAL BLACK LUX EXPO IN HIGH POINT. SO ALL DAY LONG THERE, VISITORS CAN ATTEND THE FREE EVENT AT THE HIGH POINT THEATER TO SHOP LOCAL BLACK OWNED BUSINESS AND THEN EXPERIENCE A VARIETY OF ENTERTAINMENT. YEAH. AND HERE TO TELL US MORE ABOUT IT IS WHITNEY MIDDLEBROOK. SHE IS THE OWNER OF BLACK LUX AND COMPANY AND FOUNDER OF THE EXPO. FIRST OF ALL, WHITNEY, LET’S SAY GOOD MORNING TO YOU. YOU. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. WELL, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. FIRST OF ALL, TELL US ABOUT YOUR VENTURE AND WHAT YOU GUYS DO. WELL, BLACK LUX AND COMPANY IS AN INTEGRATED SOCIAL IMPACT AND DESIGN STUDIO WHERE WE OFFER STRATEGIC CONSULTING SERVICES WITH AN EMPHASIS ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES. WE WORK TO OPTIMIZE VARIOUS PROJECTS, METHODS AND OPERATIONAL FLOW. AND OUR CAVEAT IS DEFINITELY EVENT PLANNING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT AS WELL. THIS EVENT SOUNDS REALLY FUN. WE KNOW IT’S YOUR FOURTH YEAR. WHAT HAS KIND OF CHANGED EACH YEAR AND THEN WHY START THIS ANNUAL EXPO AT ALL? WELL, ONE, WITH IT BEING THE FOURTH YEAR, YOU KNOW, I REALLY DID IT FOUR YEARS AGO SIMPLY TO JUST INTRODUCE MY BUSINESS TO THE COMMUNITY. IT WAS DEAD SMACK IN THE PANDEMIC, BUT I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEED A WAY TO CONNECT BECAUSE WE WERE ALL COOPED UP IN THE HOUSE IN 2020. SO I WAS LIKE, I THINK IT’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT MY BUSINESS. I KNOW SOME GREAT ENTREPRENEUR FRIENDS AND I GATHERED A FEW OF US TOGETHER. IT WASN’T EVEN IT WAS BARELY ABOUT 50 VENDORS. AND SO IT’S JUST REALLY GROWN. IT WAS REALLY JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A LAUNCH. AND THE FEEDBACK WAS, WE WANT MORE OF THIS. SO THAT’S WHAT I DID. SO NOW IT’S AN ANNUAL EVENT AND IT THE RESPONSE IS INCREDIBLE TO HAVE OVER EIGHT PARTICIPATING STATES NOW HAVING OVER 100 BUSINESSES TRAVELING NEAR AND FAR TO ATTEND THIS EVENT. OH, MY GOODNESS. THAT’S AMAZING. AND OF COURSE, GETTING TO YOUR FOURTH YEAR, THAT’S A REALLY BIG DEAL. CONGRATULATIONS. FIRST OF ALL. BUT HOW ARE YOU CELEBRATING MAKING THIS YEAR EXTRA SPECIAL? WHAT CAN PEOPLE LOOK FORWARD TO? YOU KNOW WHAT? I’M ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT WAYS TO MAKE IT DIFFERENT. MAKE IT MORE IMPACTFUL. AND SO JUST SO HAPPEN THIS YEAR IS THE 50 YEARS OF HIP HOP. SO I PERSONALLY LOVE HIP HOP. I LOVE MUSIC IN GENERAL, AND MUSIC HAS ALSO BEEN VERY INFLUENTIAL IN MY OWN PERSONAL LIFE. AND WITH THE 50 YEARS OF HIP HOP, IT’S A GREAT WAY TO IT’S A CULTURAL MOMENT AND JUST HIGHLIGHT HOW THE MUSIC ITSELF HAS IMPACTED ENTREPRENEURS, SPECIFICALLY HIP HOP. HIP HOP HAS REALLY DRIVEN THE CULTURES, ALSO DRIVEN ENTREPRENEURS WHERE BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURS HAVE CREATED PRODUCTS AND FASHION LINES AND THINGS THAT ACTUALLY ARE RELEVANT TO THE TRENDS OF MUSIC. SO I JUST THOUGHT, WHY NOT? YOU KNOW, I LOVE MUSIC LIKE I SAID, MY FAMILY IS VERY MUSICALLY INCLINED. SO THE 50 YEARS OF HIP HOP IS A WAY TO JUST HIGHLIGHT BLACK CULTURE AND JUST OUR ENTIRE HISTORY AND THE MUSIC AND JUST THE GOOD VIBES THAT SURROUND THAT AND HAVE A LOT OF FUN WHILE YOU GUYS ARE HAVING THE EXPO AS WELL. THAT SOUNDS REALLY COOL. WHAT DO YOU MENTION? A KEY WORD IMPACT? WHAT DO YOU THINK THE IMPACT HAS BEEN ON WITH THE EXPO FOR LOCAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND FOR THE COMMUNITY? YEAH, WHEN I THINK ABOUT IMPACT, I THINK ABOUT HOW IS THIS EVENT IMPACTING THE COMMUNITY. SO WITH THIS, IT GIVES BUSINESSES THE OPPORTUNITY TO ONE, CONNECT WITH OTHER ENTREPRENEURS SO THEY CAN INCREASE THEIR BUSINESSES, THEY CAN INCREASE CLIENTELE AND BE ABLE TO SPREAD MORE AWARENESS ABOUT WHAT THEY DO. OFTEN TIMES, SOMETIMES THERE’S NOT AS MANY THINGS GOING ON. SO I LOOK AT THIS AS AN IMPACT TO OUR COMMUNITY, TO SAY, WOW, LOOK AT ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL BLACK BUSINESSES, BLACK BUSINESS OWNERS COME INTO HIGH POINT, NORTH CAROLINA AND AT THE HIGH POINT THEATER TO SHOWCASE ON A HIGH LEVEL OF WHAT THEY DO. AND I LOOK AT IT AS IT FOSTERS BOTH THE COMMUNITY AND CREATIVE MINDS TO COME TOGETHER. IT INSPIRES, IT UPLIFTS, IT PROMOTES BLACK EXCELLENCE AND REALLY BE ABLE TO CREATE MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS AND EXPERIENCES. AND WHITNEY, WE ONLY HAVE A FEW SECONDS LEFT, BUT I’M CURIOUS, WHAT ARE YOU PERSONALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOST FOR THIS WEEKEND? YOU KNOW, I’M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD. WE HAVE A WONDERFUL ADDITION TO NOT ONLY WITH THE HIP HOP AND MUSIC, WE ACTUALLY ARE ADDING A ART ASPECT. SO WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A LIVE MURALIST. HE’S GOING TO BE PAINTING A TRIBUTE TO ICONIC FIGURES IN HIP HOP FROM PAST TO PRESENT. SO IT’LL BE A LIVE MURAL, RIGHT? DEAD SMACK INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE EVENT AND PEOPLE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WIN IT. SO WITH A $5 RAFFLE, YOU CAN WIN THIS HUGE PAINTING FOR SIMPLY $5. SO I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. AND A CAVEAT TO THAT IS IN WITH THE LIVE MURAL, WE’RE ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE A SIP AND PAINT. SO PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY BUY TICKETS PRIOR TO TO TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PAINT AND SIP AND WHAT IT WILL ACTUALLY BE CANVASES THAT INSPIRED BY HIP HOP. SO YOU’LL HAVE LIKE DJS. WE’LL HAVE SOME I THINK THERE’S A CANVASES LIKE TUPAC AND BIGGIE. SO IT’S REALLY A GOOD TIME. SO PEOPLE LOVE TO PAINT. WE LOVE TO ENJOY THAT. SO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EXPO, THERE’S GOING TO BE A WHOLE ENTIRE ART IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE HAPPENING. YOU HAVE THOUGHT OF EVERYTHING. THAT’S AMAZING. YEAH. HER MIND. YEAH. IT’S VERY INSPIRING TO HEAR FROM YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, WHITNEY AND EVERYONE AT HOME. THE FOURTH ANNUAL BLACK LUX EXPO IS THIS SATURDAY AT THE HIGH POINT THEATER. COME ON DOWN ANYTIME FROM TWO. IT’LL GO UNTIL 8:00 THAT NIGHT. IT IS FREE TO ATTEND EVERYONE. AND YOU CAN REGISTER IF YOU’D LIKE, AHEAD OF TIME.

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