Latest news with #SpendintheBlack
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Teens pack over 300 bags of toiletries for distribution at Chicago shelters
CHICAGO – Over 300 bags filled with items like toothbrushes and deodorant are ready to go to people in need thanks to the help of dozens of teenagers. Behind every bag packed at a community service event in Bronzeville on Saturday was a teen looking to help someone in need. 'I'm so happy that I get to be here and serve my community, especially for communities that have provided me opportunities and have served me,' participant Cree Hampton said. 'Spend in the Black' event boosts investment in Black-owned businesses Over 100 middle and high school students packed the gum at Bronzeville Classical Elementary School, forming an assembly line to pack bags with toiletries and everyday necessities. They also had stations set up for the girls to write inspirational letters and place them in bags. 'My letter was 'Dear Black Queen' or 'Dear Queen.' I said that you can do this. Do not let anyone take away your shine, and just know that it's not over yet,' participant Kennedy Ray said. Ladies of Virtue, a nonprofit organization that provides mentorship opportunities and resources to Black girls on Chicago's South and West sides, organized the event. 'Community service is something that is really important to Ladies of Virtue. We want our girls to know that it's important to pour back into the people and communities that have made them,' Ladies of Virtue Program Manager Brittany Taylor said. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Organizers hope Saturday's event teaches girls in the room and beyond that they're never too young to help someone else. The event also came at a time where hundreds of Chicago's teens have taken part in large neighborhood gatherings known as teen takeovers. 'I think that it's easy to put all teens into a box and say we're all rowdy or we're all doing things that we shouldn't be doing, but this organization gives guidance and this program has shown how guidance can impact,' Hampton said. The bags will be delivered on Tuesday to two different shelters in Chicago. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Spend in the Black' event boosts investment in Black-owned businesses
CHICAGO – A celebration of Black entrepreneurship designed to boost economic power in historically Black communities is empowering consumers to re-think where they spend their hard-earned money. From sweet treats and food to clothing, accessories, flowers and so much more, Natasha Olguin joined hundreds of people on 75th Street near King Drive Saturday for 'Spend in the Black.' 'There were all these amazing corridors on the West Side and the South Side. We had 63rd Street, you had 75th, you had Pulaski and now, unfortunately, we don't always spend with us, so these type of events are extremely valuable,' Olguin said. Personal trainer and body builder Jerisa Upton was also in attendance at Saturday's event. Upton owns House Fitness based in Hyde Park and was one of more than 100 vendors out on Saturday. YarnCon: Chicago's indie fiber festival sparks craft creativity 'The way that I'm living now, I feel like a completely new person and I want to give that to everybody,' Upton said. While focusing on overall wellness, she said she's also passionate about helping clients look really good. 'Learning how to unlock nutrition and exercise can literally age you backwards,' Upton said. Ald. William Hall (6th Ward) and Rev. Dr. Charlie Dates, senior pastor of Progressive Baptist Church and Salem Baptist Church, helped spearhead Saturday's event. The hope is for Spend in the Black to have a lasting impact, ultimately pouring a significant amount of money back into the local Black community. 'When you add up all of these businesses, this is a whole different tax bracket and so SSA's TIF dollars are formed with businesses, and so I believe what we need to do right now is use our money in a micro way,' Hall said. Aside from empowering business owners and highlighting their goods and services, Spend in the Black also serves as a response to several corporations cutting back diversity, equity and inclusion programs. 'At a time when some of the larger businesses take our dollars but do not respect our dignity, this is an opportunity to spend our dollars where our dignity is affirmed,' Dates said. Cook County Comm'r. Tara Stamps (1st District) echoed these claims. 'Out of great chaos, we've created enormous opportunity to be self reliant, to be interdependent so that we know we can do for ourself and practice principles that come down from our ancestors,' Stamps said. Fellowship Fleet Car Service, a luxury limo company that serves the city and some major institutions, also participated in Saturday's festivities. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines 'Not too many people know about our company. They don't think that Black means luxurious, but there is no opportunity where Black is not luxurious. Everywhere we show up we are excellence,' Tiabryanna Balentine of Fellowship Fleet said. Throughout Spend in the Black, several shoppers were given $1,000 for an emergency savings account. 'The average America doesn't have $1,000 saved. We're going to meet that need today for eight people,' Dates said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
