This Art Consultant Wants To Create A New Era Of Celebrating Black Art

Black culture has become the muse for many artists around the world. However, the professionals that make up the industry do not often reflect the same diversity. One woman has made it her mission to disrupt the art world by celebrating Black art.

Alaina Simone, the owner of an art consulting agency, is centering Black artists on the mainstream stage. Her love of art came from seeing a different side of life outside of the traditional working roles like her parents had.

“I remember seeing Alvin Loving as a very small child, who was a friend of my family in Flint, Michigan, at a gathering and being intrigued by the man with the locks and jeans. He was the coolest at the party, and I was beyond curious,” Simone tells BLACK ENTERPRISE via email.

“He was completely different from my parents’ friends of doctors, teachers, and lawyers, which was the Black professional crowd. They were teasing him, but he didn’t care. His image is clear in my memory, and I remember wanting to know more because he was so different and marching to his own drum.”

“When I was in college and trying to figure out how to make a living with my interest in art, my older cousin called and said that I should meet a Black gallerist that she met in Detroit. I didn’t know any Black people who owned galleries so that was exciting and gave me hope that I could live my dream of working with artists and figuring out a way to be an entrepreneur in the creative arts.”

Since then, Simone has made a name for herself in the art world, centering around projects that serve as a “catalyst for change,” working with artists from all across the African Diaspora. She says one of the biggest steps Black artists can take is to learn the industry, using that education to create innovative works outside of the Eurocentric gaze.

“I moved from Detroit because I knew that I had to get physically inside the market to understand how it works from the inside out,” she explains. “I suggest that artists at least intern with galleries and art institutions to shed light on the inner workings of the art world.”

“There are many nuances, and I think that sometimes artists tend to romanticize the art world. The market can be a ‘scary’ space for young artists, especially art fairs, which are mainly about watching a massive, primarily Eurocentric public, consume their work.”

Her new advice for young Black artists looking to get their foot in the door: “Don’t give up. Stick to your vision and go for it!”

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This Program Has Opened 100+ Black-Owned Beauty Supply Stores

Beauty Supply Institute is a well-respected training and consulting organization founded by Devin Robinson, a former business & economics professor. Since 2007, his organization has helped open more than 100 Black-owned beauty supply stores across America, Canada and the Caribbean islands.

Devin has always had a passion for helping Black entrepreneurs own beauty supply stores because very few of the ones that sell Black hair care products are actually owned by the people who buy these products. Even more, there have been several incidents of racism and discrimination against Black consumers who support non-Black owned beauty supply stores. This inspired him to write the best-selling book Taking it Back: How to Become a Successful Black Beauty Supply Owner.

A real asset to the community

In 2010, Devin’s Beauty Supply Institute began hosting two bi-annual conferences; one on the west coast and one on the east coast, to educate individuals on the overall business, how to get in and if is best for them. So far, the conferences have been held in various cities including Atlanta, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston, Cleveland, St. Louis and New York.

In 2016, his organization expanded into hands-on training by moving its headquarters into a 5,000 square foot facility that now houses its headquarters, training rooms, consulting rooms and a fully functioning beauty supply store.

And in 2018, Devin established the Beauty Supply Lending Group, which offers a few funding options for aspiring store owners – from traditional SBA loans to non-traditional loans only requiring a minimum 551 credit score. Interest rates are competitive and start-up loans can go as high as $150,000 for future owners and up to $400,000 for existing store owners.

The joy of giving back

Devin comments, “This has been a vision I’ve continuously worked to bring to life ever since I was threatened with a golf club in 2005 by a Korean beauty supply store owner while I was shopping. To have assisted so many people in realizing their own dream of store ownership while bringing jobs and money back to my community is a dream come true.”

Regarding his organization’s services, he further comments, “We are the absolute best at getting aspiring owners to their grand openings. We have classes, conferences and detailed training to get you there.”

For more details about the Beauty Supply Institute, visit the new location at 5015 Floyd Road Suite 300, Mableton, Georgia. Or visit their official web site at www.beautysupplyinstitute.com or follow them on Facebook.

This article was originally written by BlackBusiness.com.

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Isaias nears virus-hit Florida after lashing the Bahamas

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Early bands of heavy rain from Isaias lashed Florida’s east coast before dawn Sunday as authorities warily eyed the approaching storm, which threatened to snarl efforts to quell surging cases of the coronavirus across the region.

Isaias weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm late Saturday afternoon, but was still expected to bring heavy rain and flooding as it barrels toward Florida.

“Don’t be fooled by the downgrade,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned during a news conference on Saturday after the storm — pronounced ees-ah-EE-ahs — spent hours roughing up the Bahamas.

Florida authorities closed beaches, parks and virus testing sites, lashing signs to palm trees so they wouldn’t blow away. The governor said the state is anticipating power outages and asked residents to have a week’s supply of water, food and medicine on hand. Officials wrestled with how to prepare shelters where people can seek refuge from the storm if necessary, while safely social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus.

In Palm Beach County, about 150 people were in shelters, said emergency management spokeswoman Lisa De La Rionda. The county has a voluntary evacuation order for those living in mobile or manufactured homes, or those who feel their home can’t withstand winds.

“We don’t anticipate many more evacuations,” she said, adding that the evacuees are physically distant from each other and are wearing masks, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Isaias is piling another burden on communities already hard-hit by other storms and sickness.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds declined steadily throughout Saturday, and were at 65 mph (100 kph) by Sunday morning, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an advisory.

The center of the storm was forecast to approach the southeast coast of Florida early Sunday morning, then travel up the state’s east coast throughout the day. Little change was expected in the storm’s strength over the next few days, forecasters said.

Heavy rain, flooding and high winds could batter much of the East Coast this week as the system is forecast to track up or just off the Atlantic seaboard.

Isaias has already been destructive in the Caribbean: On Thursday, before it became a hurricane, it uprooted trees, destroyed crops and homes and caused widespread flooding and small landslides in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. One man died in the Dominican Republic. In Puerto Rico, the National Guard rescued at least 35 people from floodwaters that swept away one woman, whose body was recovered Saturday.

Isaias snapped trees and knocked out power as it blew through the Bahamas on Saturday and churned toward the Florida coast.

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This Program Has Opened 100+ Black-Owned Beauty Supply Stores

Beauty Supply Institute is a well-respected training and consulting organization founded by Devin Robinson, a former business & economics professor. Since 2007, his organization has helped open more than 100 Black-owned beauty supply stores across America, Canada and the Caribbean islands.

Devin has always had a passion for helping Black entrepreneurs own beauty supply stores because very few of the ones that sell Black hair care products are actually owned by the people who buy these products. Even more, there have been several incidents of racism and discrimination against Black consumers who support non-Black owned beauty supply stores. This inspired him to write the best-selling book Taking it Back: How to Become a Successful Black Beauty Supply Owner.

A real asset to the community

In 2010, Devin’s Beauty Supply Institute began hosting two bi-annual conferences; one on the west coast and one on the east coast, to educate individuals on the overall business, how to get in and if is best for them. So far, the conferences have been held in various cities including Atlanta, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston, Cleveland, St. Louis and New York.

In 2016, his organization expanded into hands-on training by moving its headquarters into a 5,000 square foot facility that now houses its headquarters, training rooms, consulting rooms and a fully functioning beauty supply store.

And in 2018, Devin established the Beauty Supply Lending Group, which offers a few funding options for aspiring store owners – from traditional SBA loans to non-traditional loans only requiring a minimum 551 credit score. Interest rates are competitive and start-up loans can go as high as $150,000 for future owners and up to $400,000 for existing store owners.

The joy of giving back

Devin comments, “This has been a vision I’ve continuously worked to bring to life ever since I was threatened with a golf club in 2005 by a Korean beauty supply store owner while I was shopping. To have assisted so many people in realizing their own dream of store ownership while bringing jobs and money back to my community is a dream come true.”

Regarding his organization’s services, he further comments, “We are the absolute best at getting aspiring owners to their grand openings. We have classes, conferences and detailed training to get you there.”

For more details about the Beauty Supply Institute, visit the new location at 5015 Floyd Road Suite 300, Mableton, Georgia. Or visit their official web site at www.beautysupplyinstitute.com or follow them on Facebook.

This article was originally written by BlackBusiness.com.

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6 Black-Owned Beverage Brands to Support (Wines, Teas, and Energy Drinks!)

African American entrepreneurs are widening out and starting companies in all kinds of industries. They are no longer just owners of barbershops, hair salons, and restaurants. Nowadays, they are investing in bigger more global ideas like tech companies, investment firms, and global food and drink distribution.

Here are 6 Black-owned beverage companies that you can find online and in local grocery stores:

#1 – Jive Juice: offers organic cold-pressed juices and smoothies for delivery and retail. With a focus on making juicing fun and “greening your life with juice,” J.I.V.E. Juice offers vegetarian and vegan products with concentrated enzymes and nutrients.

#2 – Ellis Island Tea: an all-natural, antioxidant-rich hibiscus tea founded in 2008 by Nailah Ellis-Brown. She got the recipe from her late great grandfather, who told her, “This recipe is to be sold, not told. Ellis Island Tea is a smooth, flavorful Jamaican blend, steeped in family tradition, brewed and bottled in Detroit, Michigan.

#3 – Jin+Ja: a revitalizing, anti-inflammatory and metabolism-boosting tea brand that was started in the summer of 2009 by entrepreneur Reuben Canada. He initially made the drinks for himself and for friends, but then realized that he had something bigger on his hands. After doing a test at a local retailer, the product kept selling out every 3 days for the first three months and the rest is history!

#4 – Me and the Bees Lemonade: an award-winning, ready-to-drink all-natural lemonade drink available in five refreshing flavors. Mikaila Ulmer created the brand when she was just 5-years old. Her drinks are now available in Whole Food grocery stores,

#5 – Heritage Link Brands: a delicious wine brand founded by entrepreneur Selena Cuffe after she learned there that, out of South Africa’s $3-billion wine industry, less than two percent were owned by blacks despite them representing 80% of the country’s population. Recognizing an untapped opportunity to introduce a new era of producers to the American market, the idea for Heritage Link Brands was born. Today the company serves a customer base of over 4,000 outlets, including household names from Disney to Whole Foods, and their award-winning portfolio is represented in over 40 U.S. states, South Africa, Nigeria, and literally, worldwide, on three different airlines.

#6 – Bee D’Vine: a popular brand of honey wine that was created by entrepreneur Ayele Solomon after he realized that flowering trees in Ethiopia were an ideal source of nectar and pollen that bees use to make valuable honey. This set him on a quest to better understand the art and business of creating honey wine. He evaluated production in Ethiopia and South Africa but settled on the world-class wine region of Sonoma – not far from where he grew up – using California honey for the first varietals.

This article was originally written by BlackBusiness.com.

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