With Juneteenth coming on June 19, The Shops at Sharp End hosted a retail expo Friday to celebrate the holiday and bring exposure to Black-owned small businesses.
Shandrika Harris, owner of Drika Designs, talks with her son Kendrick, 10, as they look over the store Friday at The Shops at Sharp End in Columbia. Originally from Memphis, Tenn., Harris recently moved to Columbia eight months ago and has been crocheting for around one year.
The Shops at Sharp End is a client-driven store made up of multiple small businesses that opened in January 2024 and works to promote newer businesses in their first steps as a company, providing a brick-and-mortar location, technical training and advice.
Amanda Oniyama, left, assistant manager at The Shops at Sharp End, looks to Franky Karmen for a reaction after trying on some of Karmen’s makeup Friday at The Shops at Sharp End in Columbia. In addition to selling product at the retail expo, Karmen also has a permanent booth in The Shops at Sharp End to sell her cosmetic products and offer tailor services to the community.
Spencer Camp plays the saxophone Friday at The Shops at Sharp End in Columbia. This retail expo was the Shops’ first since its opening in January 2024.
Steep & Bloom holds a special sale for its products for Juneteenth on Friday at The Shops at Sharp End in Columbia. The Shops at Sharp End is a client-driven retail incubator program that opened in January 2024, working to promote small businesses in their first steps as a company and guide them in the right direction.
Nickie Davis, left, executive director for the Downtown Community Improvement District in Columbia, talks to Daniel Edwards about his activism and goals Friday at The Shops at Sharp End in Columbia. Edwards, owner of The Spot food cart, has stood on various corners around town with a sign that says “Listen lil brother, stop killing each other.” Having been encouraged by community members that wanted to support him, Edwards has started selling various shirts with the same slogan to get further support.