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“Recycle the Black Dollar:” Officials encourage support of black-owned businesses this holiday season
"Recycle the Black Dollar:" Officials encourage support of black-owned businesses this holiday season
MILWAUKEE -- It is an effort to strengthen our community, one dollar at a time. The holiday season is in full swing, and some local business owners want to make sure you keep a particular demographic on your shopping list.
Recycle the Black Dollar Expo
Minority business owners on Saturday, December 5th set up displays outside the Chic Cafe on N. Jefferson Street for exposure and a challenge.
"It`s really to highlight the Recycle the Black Dollar holiday challenge," Jasmine Johnson
The goal is to ensure everyone has at least one Christmas gift purchased from a black-owned business under the tree this holiday season.
Recycle the Black Dollar Expo
"Being able to just keep the dollar in the community for at least 24 hours will definitely have a tremendous return on everyone`s investment also," Johnson said.
"There is a direct relationship when it comes to stabilizing families. When you stabilize families from the economic standpoint, it really has a direct impact on everything favorable from health -- they are able to access quality healthcare, able to stabilize the neighborhood with home ownership," Johnson said.
The initiative is about more than just spending -- with a focus on giving back with some of these purchases as well.
Recycle the Black Dollar Expo
Recycle the Black Dollar Expo
"With every bar of soap that`s sold, we have the opportunity to lift our community. Foundations for Freedom Inc. is designed to strengthen women and girls and reduce vulnerabilities and eradicate human trafficking," Dana World-Patterson with Foundations for Freedom Inc. said.
The Recycle the Black Dollar expo was a one-day event, but the effort continues.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the effort, and to see a list of black-owned businesses in our area.