The ‘Spend in the Black: Resurrecting the Black Dollar’ shopping event will return to Chicago’s South Side on April 2, bringing together more than 100 Black-owned vendors along the 75th Street corridor. The event, organized by local faith leaders and community officials, aims to encourage residents to support local businesses from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The initiative is designed to boost economic activity among Black entrepreneurs and foster community connections. Organizers say that last year’s event exceeded expectations when shoppers spent over $1 million on goods and services.
Rev. Charlie E. Dates, senior pastor at Progressive Baptist Church and Salem Baptist Church of Chicago, hosted the first ‘Spend in the Black’ alongside Alderman William Hall last year as a way to circulate dollars within the community. “It was the single greatest concentration of Black businesses in a single corridor on a single day in our city,” Dates said.
This year’s festivities will include pop-up vendor booths selling various products such as clothing and coffee beans, while established businesses like Brown Sugar Bakery will also participate. To honor last year’s success, organizers plan to give away ten emergency savings accounts of $1,000 each and one $15,000 grant for an entrepreneur working at Saturday’s event.
“We want to not only give you the money, but we’re going to walk with, we’re going to coach you, and we want to make sure that next year, you’re not only there at ‘Spend in the Black,’ but you’re somewhere in Chicago, preferably the 6th Ward,” Hall said.
Live DJs are scheduled for this family-friendly occasion which is free and open to all members of the public.
