#BlackWallStreet - Some of the most respected names in Seattle’s Black business community came together last week at Byrd Barr Place in the #CentralDistrict for Africatown Community Land Trust’s Building Black Wall Street Mixer + Chat. The mixer was hosted by author Debrena Jackson Gandy and keynoted by Central District business icon Lewis Rudd, co-founder of Ezell’s Famous Chicken.

Before the panel discussion began, ACLT President and CEO K. Wyking Garrett gave a historic overview of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma as well as the history of Black business in the Central District and also offered insights as to what ACLT is currently doing to further develop a Black business district in the Central District and beyond.

Next was the panel part of the evening, and it was comprised of several distinguished Black business owners, including Veronica Very of Wonder of Women Intl, Damon Bomar of Communion R&B, Rodney Hines of Metiér Brewing Company, and Monika C. Mathews of QueenCare Products and was moderated by TV host Jay Martin Jr. from PBS. The panelists all shared some of their business journey, especially the challenges they faced and how they overcame them, as well as advice for up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

Also in the building, that night was Seattle City Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth, who represents the Central District. Hollingsworth shared sobering numbers about the net worth of Black people in Seattle but also shared a collective vision about how developing more Black-owned businesses and creating more access to capital is key to turning those numbers around.

The Building Black Wall Street Mixer + Chat was part of Africatown Community Land Trust’s Summer of Soul Series, running through the summer of 2024, and includes events like Reunion on Union, Juneteenth, as well as UmojaFest. To learn more, visit https://www.africatownlandtrust.org/