Through fundraising and a weekly marketplace, Building Black Bed-Stuy seeks to combat gentrification and cultivate a safe space for Black residents.
In the 1930s , as the Harlem Renaissance sweep the eponymic vicinity , many dark occupier utilized the freshly extend A / ampere-second subway line andleft the overcrowded scenein Harlem for Bedford Stuyvesant . line with exuberant greenery , vibrant murals , and one of thelargest solicitation of strait-laced architecturein the United States , the neighborhood ( get laid colloquially as Bed - Stuy ) has since thrived as Brooklyn ’s “ Black ethnical capital . ”
However , over the preceding two decades , Bed - Stuy has undergone a radical shift .
A 2021reportrevealed it lost 34.5 % of its fatal residents since 2000 while gaining over 30 % more whitened residents during the same period . Like many neighborhoods across New York City , and especially in Brooklyn , Bed - Stuy is a victim of gentrification — and as new transplanting anddevelopmentcontinue to flock to it , longtime resident physician and local businesses , who are primarily Black , are striving to hold up on to the community they have left .
Photos courtesy of Building Black Bed-Stuy, Design by Maitane Romagosa for Thrillist
“ The places that I call up when I first strike here , most of them are gone , ” say Shani Coleman , a local house physician of near 15 years , while bemoan the flood of large Ernst Boris Chain stores or other businesses that are n’t Black - owned . " A band of the things that are here are just not contributory to what Bed - Stuy has always been . ”
However , a group of farsighted - terminus residents are carry military action to change that . Founded by Dana Arbib , Nana Yaa Asare - Boadu , Kai Avent - deLeon , and Rajni Jacques , Building Black Bed - Stuyis an all female - led committee dedicate to protecting , preserving , and uplifting the local smutty residential area .
“ We require it to help be a driver of Black financial growth and prosperity in our local community and beyond . ”
Avent deLeon , an area aboriginal and owner of womenswear shopSincerely , Tommyon Tompkins Avenue , was inspired to start the committee in 2020 after witnessing fellow Black - owned concern in the neighborhood skin to make ends cope with during the pandemic . After reaching out to Jacques , Arbib , and Asare - Boadu , the group created an Instagram account , which quickly gain a hearty followers , and dedicated their crusade toward fundraising .
“ The main objective was to ascertain a means to foster our own livelihood and not have to rely on anyone or anything outside of our masses to liberate us , ” suppose Avent deLeon .
Here ’s how it works : every couple of month , Building Black Bed - Stuy posts an open call for nominations of local Black - owned businesses and organization in need of reinforcement . After ask round a select few to utilize , the group choose three to raise money for . Being community - driven or offer up service and innovation are just a few of the sought - after values . Amongst many others , retiring recipient includeLife Wellness Center , Little Sun People , andBed - Stuy Arthouse — and since the first fundraising term , over $ 180k has been raised .
“ We need it to help be a gadget driver of inglorious fiscal growth and successfulness in our local community and beyond , ” says Jacques .
Along with their fundraising , Building Black Bed - Stuy hosts a marketplace where young disastrous entrepreneurs and small businesses sell products ranging from ceramic and flower arrangements to baked goods .
The marketplace , which garner over 500 attendees at its first iteration , takes place in front of Sincerely , Tommy every Sunday from 12 pm–5 pm . While the primary purpose is to promote local business , the marketplace always stop up turning into more than just a place to shop ; it ’s a celebration that ’s out of the question to miss . Black biotic community member gather on Tompkins Avenue to two - step in the streets to local DJs , play games , and socialize .
For Coleman , a member of the Building Black Bed - Stuy team who oversees the marketplace , she understands the importance of minority residents starting business organization of their own to boost the local thriftiness and keep capital circulate within the community . “ The market is an opportunity for small business organization to have a space to amount and share their ware , ” she says . “ And not just with the biotic community , but with each other . ”
Because of their efforts , Building Black Bed - Stuy has enabled the neighborhood ’s remaining Black community to thrive . The Watoto Free School , for example , which is dedicate to teaching preschool children an African - centered curriculum , has used their support to increase registration , expand teaching opportunities , and move into a larger space .
While Building Black Bed - Stuy has served as a fiscal and worked up line of life , they are constantly working toward expanding their marketplace , raising more money , and overall , bolstering the Black community of interests . “I’d care to further more conversation and provide resources around abode and land ownership for Black mass — especially during this meter when home base ownership can finger more unobtainable than ever , ” says Avent - deLeon .
Building Black Bed - Stuy is now on their fourth unit of ammunition of fundraising , with a finish of raising $ 30k to donate toAlfreda ’s Cinema , Order of the Tents , andHattie Carthan Community Garden . While their last market place of the year is October 1 , they have donation throughout every fundraising term through theirGoFundMe .
