UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Louisville's Rich History of Black Owned Businesses
Ask any elder in the Louisville community about Walnut Street "back in the day" and you'll likely hear the same sentiment:
IT WAS THE PLACE TO BE!
Louisville's own Walnut Street (currently known as Muhammad Ali Blvd.) was a bustling, thriving community of black-owned businesses. According to UofL Archives, "West Walnut Street from 6th to 13th Streets was a business, social, and cultural gathering place for African-Americans" dating back to the early 1800s.
The area thrived specifically between 1920s-1950s, peaking at over 150 black-owned businesses in the "Business District." Businesses included restaurants, churches, banks, boutiques, insurance companies, newspapers, barbers, salons, gas stations, doctors, lawyers, realtors, theaters, and nightclubs! While these establishments were black-owned, the customer base was always diverse, welcoming patrons from all races & ethnicities. Unfortunately, the area was negatively impacted by events like the Depression, segregation, desegregation, war, and specifically, the Urban Renewal Project.
More about "Old Walnut Street" & African American Businesses
Why should I support Black Owned Businesses?
Keep Louisville Weird O Buy Local O BUY BLACK!
Buying Black benefits local business owners AND consumers! Buying Black...
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Stimulates economic growth revitalization
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Creates new/lasting job opportunities, decreasing unemployment
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Builds relationships by enhancing social & professional networking
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Strengthens the black dollar and our economic/political presence
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Celebrates our diverse culture
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Helps to close racial wealth gaps
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Gives back to the community that raised us
A Black-Owned business does NOT mean Black-Only business! We welcome customers & clients from ALL races, ethnicities, & backgrounds. Patronage, regardless of color, keeps our hard-earned dollars circulating within Louisville!
WHEN SMALL BUSINESSES FLOURISH, SO DO THEIR COMMUNITIES!
More Reasons to Buy Black
More about Supporting Black Owned Businesses
Make every Friday, BLACK FRIDAY!
Online shopping & big box megastores can make shopping quite convenient. But this convenience comes at a cost to our local community.
The Black Dollar lasts a mere 6 hours in our community. Only 6 hours.
Compared to other communities that circulate money for days, even months!
However, African-Americans spend approx. $1.2 TRILLION annually (in goods alone), and are expected to make a $2 TRILLION footprint by 2020!
Now, imagine if we invested more of these trillions, back into our community...
JOIN US BY CELEBRATING BLACK FRIDAYS!!
Every Friday, visit BlackOwnedLouisville.com and
select another Black-Owned business to support!