KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. held its second annual Black Dollars Days Expo on Saturday, an event aimed at encouraging the community to support Black-owned businesses and promote economic empowerment.
Held at Penn Valley Park, the expo featured over 60 vendors, double the number from last year.
It offers a diverse array of products, from food and jewelry to books and clothing.
Kari Thompson is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Mu Omega chapter.
"The Black shopping experience is like no other; it is creative," Thompson said. "You will come and see things that you never even thought of—ideas that these creative minds thought of.”
The Black Dollars Expo not only showcased local entrepreneurs but also served as a movement to inspire future generations of Black business leaders.
"The inspiration was making sure that the millions of dollars that are in the Black community are brought back to that Black community," Thompson stated. "This gives an opportunity for those smaller businesses and grassroots organizations to come and share their creativity."
A Pew Research Center report revealed that in 2022, Black-owned businesses constituted only 3% of all U.S. firms, while White-owned businesses made up 84%, highlighting the wealth gap that events like this aim to address.
Sharon Jones, an author and participant in the expo, noted the significance of the event for the local community.
"I live in Midtown, and a lot of the businesses are not Black-owned, but the dollars are," Jones said. "I don't know if it comes back into our community. So, to be able to see an event and sell here and the dollars do come back into the community.”
Ashley Garrison started her business in February, and she credits events like this for giving her the needed exposure.
"There's room for everybody to grow," said Garrison. "If we concentrate on supporting each other and uplifting each other, we could go so far."
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