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Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How One Black Woman Is Building Legacy Through Tattoos In New Orleans
Still image of Malaika "Mecca" Burke tattooing. Malaika 'Mecca' Burke spotted a $3.9 billion market inefficiency hiding in plain sight: Black Americans get tattoos at the highest rate of any demographic—39% versus 32% of white Americans—yet less than 5% of tattoo shops are Black-owned. Burke didn't come to New Orleans expecting to break barriers, but today, she's the only Black woman tattoo shop owner and the second in its history. She arrived in 2006 as a college graduate with an animation degree, a painter's eye and a volunteer's heart, drawn by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the call to help rebuild what the storm had torn apart. 'I was one of those do-goodery volunteers,' Burke said with characteristic directness, her hands never pausing in their work. What began as a summer of service stretched into something more profound—a recognition that this layered, beautiful city offered something she'd never found in her native New Jersey: space to be authentically, unapologetically herself. Still Image of Mecca's Art. 'I love this city so much,' Burke reflected. 'It's fundamentally broken, but the people—this has probably been the most warmth and the most welcomed I've ever felt anywhere. There's a lot of space to be an absolute weirdo, and I really appreciate that.' This appreciation for New Orleans' embrace of the unconventional runs deeper than personal comfort and shapes Burke's entire approach to her craft and business. Her shop operates as something rare in the tattoo industry: a genuinely safe space where queer people, trans people and Black people can exist without constantly negotiating their presence or defending their worth. 'Lots of queer people, lots of trans people, lots of Black people' work in her shop, Burke noted—identities that 'definitely would not have been comfortable in the tattoo industry' when she started 15 years ago. The importance of this sanctuary cannot be overstated in an industry that Burke describes as 'mean and unforgiving,' where 'there's no HR' and artists must 'nut up and demand a space, because no one is going to give you anything.' When Representation Meets the Bottom Line The business case for Burke's approach becomes clear in the demographics. While Asians have the lowest tattoo adoption at 14%, Burke's core clientele, Black and Hispanic communities at 39% and 35% respectively, drive industry demand. Burke's path to ownership wasn't ordained by family tradition or a traditionally artistic calling. She stumbled into tattooing through necessity and stubbornness, securing an apprenticeship because a shop owner 'needed free labor.' The memory of her first tattoo remains visceral: sobbing inconsolably while a supervisor berated her for a minor mistake, yet pushing through to complete the work. Mecca tattooing a client 'Maybe that was my first lesson,' Burke said. 'You just gotta keep going even if you want to cry or even if you're actively crying.' That lesson would become the foundation for her attitude and approach to business—and the inspiration for her Magazine Street storefront, Hell or High Water. The phrase captures both her grit and New Orleans' own survival story, an understanding that surviving in the tattoo industry demanded a militant commitment to occupying space that others would deny you. As a Black woman in predominantly white, male shops, Burke faced constant assumptions about her competence and belonging. Clients would bypass her expertise, seeking confirmation from male colleagues. The sexism was blatant; the racism more subtle but equally corrosive. 'In New Orleans, I feel like a lot of the time I got discounted, it was never because I was Black, only because I was a woman,' Burke said. It's a distinction that speaks to the city's particular racial dynamics, a place where Black culture forms the foundation of what makes New Orleans distinctive, even as that cultural appreciation doesn't always translate into economic equity or social justice. Close up tattoo by Malaika Mecca Burke. 'Most of the businesses are started and run by old white dudes,' Burke explained, 'so you're gonna find just more white dudes.' The result is a self-perpetuating cycle where legitimate paths to mastery remain closed primarily to Black artists, forcing many to work from their homes rather than shops and operate outside the industry's recognized networks of support. 'You just gotta keep going—even if you're actively crying.' Burke's artistic vision largely ignores these industry politics while remaining tied to personal aesthetics. Her work gravitates toward florals and portraiture, faces that mesmerize her in ways she can't fully articulate. 'I don't know what it is about faces that kind of mesmerizes me, but I really enjoy recreating that,' she said. Her own body tells no grand narrative through ink; instead, it's a collection of 'mostly vibes' punctuated by memorial work and friendly collaborations. When asked what mark she hopes to leave on the world, Burke's answer is refreshingly unburdened by grandiosity: 'Good vibes.' In a cultural moment obsessed with branding and calculated impact, her calling to simply 'making cool s—' and 'helping some people smile' feels both radical and grounded. By creating space for alliance rather than competition and for vulnerability rather than machismo, she's rewriting the rules of what a tattoo shop can be. She hopes that her NOLA Black tattoo convention will continue this conversation. 'That's how you become better,' Burke noted. 'You work with other artists, and they're like, 'Oh, I do it this way,' and you're like, 'Oh, but I do it that way.' Those things help you grow.' The convention also addresses client needs that mainstream tattoo shops often overlook. 'You want to get work done by people that look like you, people that you feel like understand you,' Burke explained, particularly for larger pieces requiring hours of intimate proximity. Painting by Malaika Mecca Burke The economics support this approach, with cultural competency becoming a key differentiator as the customer base diversifies. In Burke's hands, tattooing joins this tradition, each piece honoring personal identity and contributing to a larger history about who gets to make a lasting impact in this city. As New Orleans continues to evolve—gentrifying and tussling with its layered racial history—Burke's work offers a model for how individual creativity can serve broader justice without sacrificing artistic integrity. 'In the end, the world might end tomorrow,' Burke said with characteristic pragmatism. 'I can't be worried about that. I just wanna make cool things and make some people smile.' In a city that has weathered centuries of endings and beginnings, Burke's commitment to joy and beauty in the face of uncertainty feels less like resignation than wisdom—the kind that comes from choosing, again and again, to build something lasting in a world designed to be temporary. Burke's work as a Black woman tattoo shop owner proves that representation is about visibility and rewriting who gets to belong in billion-dollar industries. Her tattoos may be 'mostly vibes,' but those vibes carry a long-term business truth: representation drives growth. By creating space for others, she isn't just honoring identity but shifting equity in an industry expected to hit $4.8 billion by 2032.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Citi Trends Announces 5th Annual Black History Makers Grant Winners
SAVANNAH, Ga., June 18, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Citi Trends, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTRN), a leading off-price value retailer of apparel, accessories and home trends primarily for African American in the United States, has announced the grant winners of its 5th Annual Black History Makers program. Managed by the Citi Trends CitiCares Council, which oversees change initiatives for the company's customers and employees, the Black History Makers program increases awareness of Black-owned businesses and recognizes entrepreneurs positively impacting their communities. As a tangible show of encouragement and investment, the program awards ten $5,000 grants to Black business owners doing exceptional work. This year, the grant winners are: #Premier Driver Education Services – Frenchye Mike; Savannah, GA; Black People Will Swim – Paulana Lamonier; Franklin Square, NY; Children Are Heroes Learning Center LLC – Valarie McGhee; Richardson, TX; Elizabeth House Foundation – Brandy Sims; Charlotte, NC; Mobile Laundry Detroit – Darlene Perkins; Detroit, MI; RBIII Academy – RBIII; Marietta, GA; The Coloring Museum – Sherrie Savage; Detroit, MI; Transport-U LLC – Ronda Meriweather; Chesterfield, MO; Tyme to Thrive Beyond Grief – Aaliyah Strong; Atlanta, GA; We Create Tech – Shana Sanders; Decatur, GA Katrina George, Vice President of Human Resources, commented, "This year marks a special milestone—five years of recognizing and supporting Black entrepreneurs through our Black History Makers program. We continue to be inspired by the talent, drive, and creativity of each applicant. Congratulations to this year's 10 recipients. We are honored to support their journeys with these grants and look forward to seeing all they accomplish!" To learn more about the 2025 grant winners, visit: About Citi Trends: Citi Trends is a leading off-price value retailer of apparel, accessories and home trends primarily for African American families in the United States. The Company operates 590 stores across 33 states. View source version on Contacts Media contact: Kelly Czerviskikczerviski@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Globe and Mail
06-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
The King of Content Firm Launches Revolutionary Content Domination System to Help Med Spas Dominate Their City
Atlanta, Georgia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 6, 2025) - The King of Content, a specialized growth firm dedicated to Black-owned aesthetic businesses, today announced the official launch of their groundbreaking Content Domination System 2.0. This comprehensive service is specifically designed to address the unique visibility challenges faced by Black med spa owners and help them establish market dominance in their communities. TKOC To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: The newly launched Content Domination System 2.0 represents a first-of-its-kind approach that goes beyond traditional marketing by focusing on cultural understanding, authentic representation, and sustainable business growth for Black aesthetic entrepreneurs. "We identified a critical gap in the market," explains Dontell Antonio, founder of The King of Content Firm. "Black med spa owners possess incredible clinical expertise but often struggle with visibility and business growth. Our new Content Domination System 2.0 is specifically engineered to bridge this gap and help these professionals achieve the recognition and revenue they deserve." Introducing the Content Domination System The Content Domination System is a proprietary service that addresses three core challenges identified through extensive research: Cultural Disconnect: Traditional marketing agencies lack the cultural understanding necessary to effectively represent Black-owned aesthetic businesses, often relying on discount-driven strategies that undermine brand value. Technology Barriers: Many Black aesthetic professionals lack confidence with digital platforms and social media, creating significant obstacles to growth and visibility. Limited Resources: Black-owned med spas often have restricted access to media relationships and industry resources essential for market domination. "What sets our Content Domination System apart is its focus on authentic representation and community impact," states Antonio. "We don't just create content-we create transformation. Our system helps Black med spa owners position themselves as elite professionals and community leaders." Service Features and Benefits The Content Domination System 2.0 includes: Cultural Relevance Strategy: Messaging that resonates authentically with target communities while positioning owners as industry leaders Technology Confidence Building: Comprehensive training and support to overcome digital platform barriers Local Market Domination: Strategic content placement to ensure maximum visibility and brand recognition Business Specialization Guidance: Helping med spa owners focus their services and messaging for maximum impact Community Leadership Positioning: Establishing owners as trusted authorities in their local markets The system addresses a critical need in the aesthetic industry where many Black professionals struggle to translate their clinical expertise into business success. "Many of these entrepreneurs spent decades as nurses in hospitals and were never programmed to run a business or invest in effective marketing," explains Antonio. "Our Content Domination System provides the structure and support they need to thrive." Addressing Industry Gaps Research conducted by The King of Content Firm revealed that traditional marketing approaches often fail Black-owned aesthetic businesses due to lack of cultural understanding and inappropriate positioning strategies. The Content Domination System was developed specifically to address these shortcomings. "We understand that many in the African-American community don't fully understand what med spas are or the services they provide," notes Antonio. "Our system bridges that gap in a way that resonates culturally while elevating the professional status of our clients." The service also tackles the critical issue of authentic representation in the aesthetics industry, helping Black aesthetic professionals position themselves appropriately as elite service providers rather than discount competitors. Vision for Market Impact The King of Content Firm's vision extends beyond individual business success to community transformation. The Content Domination System is designed to measure impact through community health improvements, confidence building, and local recognition. "Success isn't just about revenue numbers," emphasizes Antonio. "We're looking at whether community members are going from overweight to healthy weight, from depression and low self-esteem to confidence. How often is the med spa owner recognized as a leader in their local community?" The firm's five-year vision includes Black-owned med spas having equal or superior opportunities to dominate their markets, equipped with the right mindset, tools, and capital to make meaningful community impact. Availability and Access The Content Domination System is now available to Black-owned med spa professionals nationwide. The service represents a significant investment in closing the visibility gap that has historically limited growth opportunities for Black aesthetic entrepreneurs. "We're committed to working day in and day out, innovating and pushing this industry and culture forward," concludes Antonio. "This system represents our dedication to ensuring Black aesthetics professionals have the tools they need to succeed and make a real difference in their communities." About The King of Content Firm: The King of Content Firm is the premier growth firm dedicated to empowering Black-owned med spas to dominate their markets, amplify their visibility, and lead with confidence. Through our proprietary Content Domination System, we help Black med spa professionals build unshakable trust and establish undeniable authority in their communities. Our mission is to bridge the gap in the aesthetics industry by equipping Black entrepreneurs with the tools, systems, and confidence needed to thrive through strategic content and business development.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Our people hire our people': Long before DOJ probe into Mayor Brandon Johnson, racial politics coursed through City Hall hiring
Mayor Brandon Johnson sat onstage at a cavernous Woodlawn church and shot back at the criticism that he only cares about hiring Black people with his most forceful defense yet of the representation among his top appointees. Addressing a Black audience last week, he quoted the Rev. Jesse Jackson: 'Our people hire our people.' Then one by one, he shouted out six of his Black deputies and a Black-owned business recently awarded an airport contract. Less than 24 hours later, his remarks reached the walls of President Donald Trump's Justice Department, triggering an investigation into City Hall's hiring practices. But while Trump's crusade against diversity policies that he views as discriminatory against white Americans is unprecedented, the practice of powerful officials hiring from within their own ethnic group is a tried-and-true tradition in the bare-knuckle arena of Chicago politics. Long before DEI, or diversity, equity and inclusion, entered the political lexicon, the city's various racial groups each approached the power struggle for jobs with the ethos of 'Where's mine?' Johnson, while maintaining he's looking out for the entire city, has also argued that now it's Black residents' turn. 'Why wouldn't I speak to Black Chicago? Why wouldn't I?' the mayor challenged reporters when asked about the DOJ probe last week. 'It would be shameful if I were to repeat the sins of those who have been in this position before because they did not speak enough to Black Chicago.' Former Ald. Ed Vrdolyak, a ringleader of the white opposition to Mayor Harold Washington in the 1980s, once laid out Chicago's ethnic political principles in stark terms, as an outsider taking stock of the Daley clan's decades of iron control of the city's levers of power. 'You've got to understand something about the Irish, the Daley Irish,' Vrdolyak told the Tribune in 1996. 'It's the Irish first, and everybody else is a Polack. Everybody. I'm Croatian, and to them I was a Polack. The Blacks are Polacks. Latinos, everybody … are Polacks. That's how they are.' Ald. Walter Burnett, 27th, the most veteran sitting member of the City Council, chuckled recently when he heard the quote. 'Isn't that something? This is real talk in Chicago.' 'We keep going through this evolution of who gets the short end of the stick,' said Burnett, who is Black. 'And when you have been oppressed and neglected for such a long time, you know you are going to continue to try and get more. It's just a natural reaction.' During the 20th century, European immigrants came to Chicago in waves, with each group starting from scratch when it came to amassing economic and political might. Longtime white Chicagoans often didn't accept the newcomers at first, but eventually the burgeoning populations of Irish, Italians, Polish and others established their own unique enclaves across the city. Most famously, the Irish American Daley family came into power and built a formidable political machine from the 11th Ward in Bridgeport, making a point to hire and promote other Irish Chicagoans. Other white ethnic groups such as the Polish did the same. That reward system came under fire in the early 1970s under Mayor Richard J. Daley, when federal courts issued a series of orders prohibiting patronage employment in Chicago. They were known as the Shakman decrees. The DOJ probe into Johnson hinges on whether he 'made hiring decisions solely on the basis of race,' in potential violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to a notice issued by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon. Flashback: Chicago's Council Wars pitted defiant white aldermen against a reform-minded Harold Washington Washington, the city's first Black mayor, bucked the status quo by recruiting a coalition of Black and Latino aldermen to counter Vrdolyak and other white ethnic members of the Democratic machine who tried to thwart him, in a period known as Council Wars. After Washington's death in office in 1987, however, that so-called Rainbow Coalition waned as Mayor Richard M. Daley took over in 1989. Daley assembled his own alliance of ethnic whites and Latinos as the 1990 decennial ward remapping process loomed to prop up a wedge against a growing Black influence at City Hall. Latino hiring did surge, thanks to the Daley-allied Hispanic Democratic Organization — until a federal investigation into its patronage hiring practices kneecapped the group. Faced with these setbacks, some Black politicians have tried to take matters in their own hands. 'I've always liked patronage,' the late Ald. William Beavers was quoted saying in the Tribune in 1988. 'Why change the game when Harold Washington became mayor? You should be allowed to hire whomever you want.' Or as former Cook County Board President Todd Stroger once argued, 'Patronage has been as American as apple pie.' Ameshia Cross, a Democratic strategist who grew up in South Shore, said comparing the racial politics of then versus now is imprecise, however. While earlier generations of European immigrants have since assimilated with white Americans, Black people remain in 'an entirely separate bucket,' she said. Cross said the city has yet to fully rectify its sordid legacy of redlining, discriminatory banks and other practices that segregated the South and West sides. That's why the modern apparatus of government jobs serving as a 'backbone' for the Black community is so critical for Johnson to protect, she said. 'Even though Chicago has never been a part of Jim Crow, Chicago very much had a separate but equal stance,' Cross said. 'There is a movement, and has been for at least the better half of the past three and a half decades, to ensure that many of those gaps reach a level of closure. … That's one of the things that this White House is trying its darnedest to erase.' One of Washington's signature lines that encapsulated the promise behind his Rainbow Coalition was, 'You're going to get your fair share,' as former U.S. Rep. Luis Gutiérrez recalled hearing the late mayor promise constituents. In the decades since, Chicago's racial interests have scarcely agreed on what a 'fair share' looks like. Gutiérrez, who joined Washington's ranks as an upstart Puerto Rican alderman, has since gravitated toward more establishment positions. He said the current political climate doesn't need more inflammatory rhetoric like Johnson's. 'Why would a mayor that represents everybody tout exclusively about the Black people that he's hired?' Gutiérrez said. 'The city of Chicago has come a long way, a long way, and I don't think it needs a mayor that fans the flames of race as an issue.' Since Johnson took office two years ago, he's faced pushback from Latino leaders who want his staff and cabinet makeup to be more reflective of Chicago's shifting demographics. For his part the mayor says he has the 'most diverse administration' in the city's history, which is true when measuring his share of nonwhite employees against his last three predecessors, at the very least. But the 'most diverse' label becomes more fraught when breaking down the nonwhite representation. Over the past decade, Latinos have surpassed the shrinking Black population for the first time, leaving Chicago at about 30% Latino, 29% Black, 31% white and 7% Asian. The map that ultimately passed the City Council in the most recent ward remap following the 2020 census had 16 majority-Black wards and 14 majority-Latino wards — one fewer than what the Latino Caucus wanted — while forming the city's first majority-Asian ward. The makeup of the entire mayor's office staff is 34% Black, 24% Hispanic, 30% white and 7% Asian, according to the latest numbers provided last week. Johnson's cabinet was much Blacker, however, hovering at about 44% as of last year, according to the Triibe news website. The mayor's press office did not provide updated figures to the Tribune. When asked last week whether the strong Black focus among his staff leaves Latinos, Asians and other marginalized groups behind, the mayor retorted that's 'the type of divisiveness that this president wants us to have.' He then listed seven Latinas across his leadership and cabinet team. Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, a frequent Johnson critic, said he will continue pushing for the mayor's Latino representation to be closer to 30%, arguing that Latinos will likely surpass white Chicagoans in next decade and become the largest group. 'There are going to be some communities that get ahead, but it should not be because of the fact that you're saying, 'Oh, because it's my community, I want to get them ahead,'' Villegas said. 'This is not the 1970s and '80s, and if we want to revert back to that, it's the wrong approach.' Villegas was chair of the Latino Caucus during the most recent ward redistricting process under then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot, leading the failed effort to secure an additional majority-Latino seat. Then under Johnson, Villegas unsuccessfully threw his hat in the ring to be appointed Zoning chair after the coveted leadership role was vacated by Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th. Johnson found himself in a monthslong quagmire last year because he had promised the seat to the Latino Caucus but was unable to pick a candidate he could both trust and muscle through the council, so he opted to go with Burnett and boost the Black Caucus' chairmanships instead. While remaining steadfast in defending the prioritization of the Black neighborhoods he says have 'borne the brunt' of policies such as the 2013 mass school closings, the mayor has also sought to challenge what he sees as a cherry-picked narrative over how he approaches race. 'It sounds like to me that people tune in to what they wanted to, because the fact of the matter is that I've shown up for this entire city,' Johnson said last week. 'The city of Chicago has suffered from a great deal of pain because of the political and the racial dividing lines that have existed in this city for a long time. I'm going to break those.' For Ald. Nicole Lee, who represents the new Asian-majority 11th Ward, the drop in Asian representation at the senior levels was 'striking.' Lightfoot had four Asian Americans in her leadership team, while Johnson has had no Asian representation among his appointees to his office for the vast majority of his term. 'I would question how we define the most diverse,' Lee said. 'It is disappointing that his administration doesn't feel representative of my own community, and it's not something that's lost on the community, either. It is definitely a topic of conversation among folks.' Lee said she's voiced this concern to Johnson before and suggested Asian American candidates for open positions, but they were not selected. Last month, the mayor did appoint Jung Yoon as policy chief. Victor LaGroon, former chief diversity officer at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, said it's not realistic for governments to match their constituents' demographics one-to-one. When the age-old bickering over 'where's mine?' does spill over, that is more a reflection of a historic scarcity of opportunity within those populations, LaGroon, who also served in Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration, said. 'The communities who view themselves as waiting for their turn to be served can view themselves in a very myopic way and say, 'Hey, we didn't get what we needed. Where's ours?' It's unfortunate,' Lagroon said. 'While mayors today try to get it right, I think it's also important to notice that many of our mayors are trying to also undo some of the harm done in the past.'
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City of Refugee Ministries holds Black Owned Business Shop 2025
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — City of Refugee Ministries held its first-ever Black Owned Business Shop 2025. The event was held in conjunction with Black History Month and offered a way for 25 black-owned local businesses so the church and community could 'patronize' the businesses, according to CORM's website. It was held at the City of Refuge Ministries church in Bloomington on Saturday morning. Pastor William Bennet said it's all about bringing unity to the community. 'The community has come out in a big way to help support this event, and purchase some of the items. And even if they're not purchasing, they're getting the information, you know, where these businesses. So we want it to also be able to affect and impact the economics of our, you know, local businesses. And the community has helped us out in a big way on that,' said Bennet. They plan on holding more Black Owned Business Shop's in the future. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
