How collaboration fueled Portland’s Black-owned business boom (via eaterpdx)
Walk into Northeast Killingsworth juice bar Drink Mamey and you’ll see a bright orange neon sign screaming “Drink ya juice’’ sitting on a faux-grass-lined wall above an abundance of potted plants.
But for Black business owners in Portland right now, what has really helped elevate their businesses is collaboration — working specifically, and sometimes exclusively, with other Black-owned businesses. Working with other Black-owned businesses allows new ones to build a foundation more easily — not only for their business, but also socially. “It’s important to bring Black wealth back and generational wealth,” Smith-McCarthy says, “Everyone deserves a chance to do that.
. Racist lending practices and development projects — like the I-5 expansion and the Legacy Emmanuel expansion that displaced thousands of Black families and businesses — made it difficult to keep Black-owned businesses afloat in Portland long-term.
Working with other Black folks became even more important to Gladney after moving from the diverse city of Oakland to Portland, one of the whitest cities in the country. However, in her perspective, the small community can also give Black businesses a unique opportunity to stand out, she says. “In the Bay Area, you can find anybody that does anything and they’re great at it — especially people of color,” she says. “[In Portland], it makes it a whole lot easier for us to stand out.
Hall feels lucky that his business has been able to stay open and even grow, despite pandemic-related challenges. For him, incorporating Drink Mamey and Deadstock is more than just a business decision; it’s also provided a sense of emotional support among other Black folks during a historical period of civil unrest.
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