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January 21st — the number is 39.
Cheyenne has at least 39 black entrepreneurs, many of whom are business owners. Louise Event Venue owner Jazmine Jackson didn’t know until the “Black Excellence Project” began to take shape.
Cheyenne is a different place for small business owners than it was when Jackson grew up. There are more opportunities, and even in the last two years many businesses have opened under more diverse ownership.
“A very bigoted, racist sentiment grew,” Jackson said Thursday in the lobby of the Louise Event Center. It’s very important to me[to show]that I can do what you’re doing, that you can do what I’m doing — we ‘Everybody’s trying to make it.
“My skin color makes no difference.”
She initially worked as a kindergarten teacher for 8 years and then as an event planner for about 4 years. In 2019, she opened The Louise, a place where she can do whatever she pleases.
This freedom was almost immediately revoked due to the effects of pandemic restrictions established in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. For some time she began to reconsider her own decision to open her venue.
But this adversity did little to hinder her vision. Since Louise was founded, Jackson has offered some of Cheyenne’s most unique events.
“The Black Excellence Project” will showcase portraits of 39 African-American entrepreneurs, free of charge, to gain recognition among the capital’s underrepresented musicians, event planners, hair stylists, chefs and business owners. Brings
“It’s not that we’re oblivious,” Jackson said. “But the goal is to get more attention.”
Jackson envisioned the project about three years ago, when she was having trouble figuring out how to structure the business. After her “We Are Downtown” exhibition curated by WYOmusic owner Danika Mlozynski last November, Jackson realized it was a viable concept.
She took to social media to spread the word.
“‘How about this person?’ I cried. I’m still in awe. I wanted to host this event and let people know about us. Black history.” I definitely wanted to do it at the beginning of the month.”
As a black business owner myself, this project has a personal weight to it, a state that is 92.4% white (5th highest percentage in the nation) and people of diverse ethnic backgrounds stepping into it. It reminds me how hard it is. 1.2% Black (third lowest), according to the US Census Bureau.
Cheyenne is slightly higher, with blacks making up 2.8% of the population. So when Jackson said, “There aren’t many black people here,” she was completely right.
This reality manifests itself in lesser-recognized ways, like in the cosmetics field.Tiffany Diaz, owner of A Shade of Vintage Hair Salon, has one of Cheyenne’s most successful salons.
With nine stylists on staff, Shade of Vintage services all hair types, but the majority of its clients are not black. Diaz emphasizes the importance of her salon to black-owned hair, especially as she relates to the diverse air force stationed at FE Warren Air Force Base.
In short, having a salon that understands how to work with different types of hair is important to the cultural representation of the urban population.
“People think I’m not offering it in my community just because my main customer isn’t black,” Diaz said. , it means that there is someone who deals with the same hair as you.
“When you walk into this space, there are people who look like you.
As Diaz points out, this is not just a reality for African Americans, but also for other Cheyenne minority groups.
Local Hispanic holidays, such as Cinco de Mayo and Día de los Muertos, are celebrated to provide cultural expression for everyone to enjoy, but they need more cultural acceptance. For example, some people still don’t understand Juneteenth, which has been officially celebrated in Texas since 1866 but will be recognized as a federal holiday in 2022.
It’s not just about supporting Black-owned businesses — Diaz emphasized supporting all small businesses — it’s about supporting diverse cultures across the city.
As a black business owner, Jackson has never personally been hated by the community, but he knows other business owners. There have been reported incidents fueled by racial prejudice in the past year, including against military personnel and their children.
She said her daughter is having such a hard time now.
Jackson has never been complacent, and her business track record abounds.
‘The Black Excellence Project’ is the more intimate embodiment of her creation. Regardless of ethnicity, everyone has their own struggles, Jackson said.This project is meant to shine a light on one group’s perseverance.
“I’m so blessed and excited about all the events that I do. I’m excited about it and everything. , laugh. “But I don’t feel that way with this piece.
“I don’t want it to end. I’ve never felt that way at any other event.”
Will Carpenter is Arts and Entertainment/Feature Reporter for the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. He can be reached by email at wcarpenter@wyomingnews.com or by calling him at 307-633-3135. Follow him on Twitter @will_carp_.
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