Stevenson s story garnered attention a full two years before the Black Lives Matter movement shined a national spotlight on the challenges faced by Black business owners. It earned him a loyal following from neighbors who said they want to see more entrepreneurs of color and small family-owned businesses in San Francisco s Mission district.
But faced with an ongoing pandemic that s left the neighborhood s usually bustling sidewalks unusually quiet, Stevenson continues to look for new opportunities at grocery stores and farmer s markets, hoping to find a steady flow of thirsty customers in time for summer.
The Backstory
We first met Vicktor Stevenson wearing a bow tie and a big smile as he stood in front of his tiny store in San Francisco s Mission District.
Black Businesses Matter in San Diego Awards WINNERS Announced sdbj.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sdbj.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Think Black :15-year-old Pikesville student creates app to support black businesses hit hard by pandemic
By: WMAR Staff
and last updated 2021-03-09 14:08:04-05
PIKESVILLE, Md. â Last summer, Kelsey Parker, 15, watched as millions of people across the country took to the streets to protest racial injustice and police violence.
âThe Blacks Lives Matter movement and the racial tensions, I really saw how Black people werenât showcased for their success as much,â Parker said.
Inspired by the calls for change, the Pikesville High School student started to ask herself what she could do to help.
âI saw a Washington Post article that highlighted that almost 50 percent or a little less than 50 percent of Black businesses closed down during the pandemic,â she said. âI saw that and was like, I want to do something to help them stay open. â
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“Arréglate.”
It’s a saying that instantly transports me to my childhood bedroom in San Francisco, my mom combing knots out of my hair and making sure I’m wearing a cute outfit. The translation is “Get ready.” But for many Latinx people, it’s code for “Put on some lipstick before our guests arrive.” Even now, before heading to any dinner or event, or even just stepping out for an errand, this command from my mom echoes in my head. Running to the supermarket to buy milk without combing my hair? Not so fast.
For a long time, I didn’t think my love for beauty had anything to do with being Latinx. When I was a little girl, my mom, who’s Nicaraguan, would let me rummage through her makeup bag, and I’d emerge from the bathroom an hour later, triumphant, silver eye-shadow painted from my lash line to my forehead. This may sound like a young-woman cliché: “My love for beauty comes from my mom.” But the truth is that she let me into her cosmetics stash only bec