The Black-Owned Business Expo is returning for its 6th Expo on Aug. 26 at the Fayetteville Town Center to celebrate Black-Owned Business Month.
Jasmine Hudson and J’Aaron “Jae” Merchant of Jazzy Jae NWA are the creative force behind the social media page Black-Owned NWA, a curated guide to Black-Owned businesses including everything from dining, art and wellness to style, culture and events. The expo showcases businesses highlighted by Black-Owned NWA in real-time. It gives all of the Northwest Arkansas community a chance to see the incredible and varied work of the Black-Owned businesses of NWA. The Northwest Arkansas Black-Owned Business Expo will be held Saturday, Aug. 26 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Fayetteville Town Center. This event is free and open to the public.
The event saw great success in 2020, 2021 and August 2022 with more than 2,000 attendees. We are looking forward to even more attendees in August. We will have food trucks, DJs and businesses of all kinds represented. This event is for the whole family to celebrate the Black-Owned Business community of NWA.
Did you know Black businesses generated $206 billion in annual revenue and supported 3.56 million U.S. jobs within the last decade? The data is via The Brookings Institution. However, though Black people comprise 14.7% of the U.S. population, the community represents 12.4% of sole proprietorship and only 2.4% of employer businesses. Brookings said the stats are “disparities” that hold back Black entrepreneurs and “restrict economic opportunities for entire communities, which in turn impacts local prosperity.”
Photo Credit: Jenn Terrell
READ ALSO: UA LITTLE ROCK CHOIR FACULTY, MEMBERS ADVANCE IN AMERICAN PRIZE COMPETITIONS