By Megan Sayles
AFRO Business Writer
msayles@afro.com
Owner and Creatress of Blk Ass Flea Mkt Brianne Mobley is taking back Black Friday once again with Blk Ass Friday on Nov. 29. The market will be held in West Baltimore at Coppin State University’s College of Business, showcasing a variety of wares from 50 Black-owned businesses.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Brianne Mobley. (Right) Queneisha J. Harvey is the owner of Le Bleu Bodycare, an all natural, organic line of fragrances that are made with clean ingredients. Credit: Photo by Olesha Haskett, OhExperience
The event was first put on in 2022, attracting a strong turnout. Mobley decided to bring it back in 2024 to continue amplifying the importance of circulating the Black dollar in the Black community.
“We have this catchphrase called, ‘keeping the coin in the community.’ That’s one of the pillars of work that we do,” said Mobley. “That’s why Blk Ass Friday is coming back. It’s a magical day because we are reclaiming it and keeping our dollar in our community.”
According to the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility, the spending power of Black consumers in 2019 was $910 billion. That number is expected to grow to $1.7 trillion by 2030. In spite of this massive collective economic power, the Black dollar has a relatively short life span in Black communities.
Mobely picked up on this information and wanted to do her part in changing it. Before starting Blk Ass Flea Mkt, she was a full-spectrum doula, serving Black mothers in the birthing and postpartum space. As part of the work, she organized community events for women and moms— many of whom were also entrepreneurs and creatives.
After watching the COVID-19 pandemic devastate Black businesses across the city, she shifted her focus to finding a way to inspire joy in her community.
“Blk Ass Flea Mkt was born from the importance Black joy and seeing Black joy as our resistance,” Mobley. “It ended up being a movement that the city needed I guess because it was supposed to be a one-day pop-up, but people said they needed me to come back.”
Mobley held the first Blk Ass Flea Mkt in May 2021 with about 15 businesses participating. Since then, it’s grown to feature as many as 80 businesses. Patrons and vendors come from out of town to attend.
After each gathering, Mobley conducts a survey to better understand the challenges entrepreneurs face. She then uses their responses to inform the curriculum for Blk Ass University, a continuum of resources for Black business owners. Past workshops include vendor booth setup, social media basics and crafting press releases.
The market continues to be nomadic with previous locations, including Baltimore Peninsula, the Baltimore Museum of Industry and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, but Mobley is striving to secure a permanent home in the city. One day, she hopes to make Blk Ass Flea Mkt a traveling event across the country, visiting cities across America and energizing their local Black businesses.
“Baltimore is in a modern-day Black renaissance,” said Mobley. “The people that are coming here are looking to us as the magicians when it comes to Black magic. We are what makes the city cool and continue to thrive.”
Shannon Johnson, owner of B. Marie Accessories, first attended Blk Ass Flea Mkt as a shopper in 2022. The West Baltimore native said she grew up frequenting community markets and festivals with her family. Browsing through handmade items and supporting business owners from her community became something she looked forward to.
That same year, she was accepted to be a vendor at Blk Ass Flea Mkt. She said the experience helped to elevate her business.
“I’ve made connections at Blk Ass Flea Mkt that have turned into collaborations and friendships, and I’ve had beautiful moments meeting old friends too,” said Johnson. “It’s truly grown to be more than a market showcasing Black-owned businesses to shop from and curating events celebrating Black culture, but an energized community of multi-talented, multi-dimensional people excited to meet you where you are.”
Johnson’s brand was born in 2020 out of her love for self-expression through accessorizing. She named it after her mother, “B,” who inspired her sense of style. B. Marie Accessories offers curated collections of quality, affordable fashion jewelry and branded eyewear.
Johnson will again serve as a vendor at Blk Ass Friday.
“Markets like Blk Ass Flea Mkt are critical for Black businesses because there can be hidden and not so hidden barriers to the success of our businesses. We’re not always welcome in other spaces, or we don’t always receive the resources needed to excel. When we find our people and pour into each other, we can go further together.”
Queneisha J. Harvey, owner of Le Bleu Bodycare, will also be participating in Blk Ass Friday. The Miami native is new to the area, having just relocated to Baltimore in June 2023. Hearing about the close-knit creative community in Charm City led her to make the move.
She devised the concept for Le Bleu Bodycare during her pregnancy. At the time, she wanted to become more intentional about the products she was using as she prepared for motherhood. After researching and testing out homemade products in her home, she launched the natural fragrance house and wellness studio. Her brand nixes the common use of harmful chemicals, like phthalates, carcinogens and parabens.
Harvey participated in her first Blk Ass Flea Mkt last spring. The experience confirmed what she’d been hearing about the solidarity of the Black creative community in Baltimore.
“Everybody was just very supportive, whether they were a vendor or they were shopping. They all had an interest, and they all wanted to support you financially and they all wanted to learn more about your product,” said Harvey. “The Blk Ass Flea Mkt team truly makes you feel like you are family.”
This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship lab. The lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBC Universal.