Precarious weather wasn’t enough to keep a local collective from setting up shop at Pendleton King Park, Saturday.
From noon to 6 p.m. the Melanin Market welcomed all curious shoppers to peruse the offerings of several local Black-owned businesses, from restauranteurs like Sweet C’s and Tab’s Kitchen, to artisan vendors like Resilient Kiamesha’s Creations and Dev’s Handcrafted Goods and more.
This year marked the second annual Melanin Market by community event planner Abstract Living, as last year’s scheduled bazaar was canceled due to Hurricane Helene. The focus of the yearly event is to promote, and foster networking among, Black-owned enterprises in the CSRA, said Courtney Neely with Abstract Living, who organized the market.
“They need the community to know about them, and it’s hard to do that if you’re by yourself,” Neely said, contrasting the Melanin Market’s coordinating approach from that of flea markets, where shoppers may get used to a set of vendors. “These people are working out their homes. They have online businesses… If I want a hair wrap [from Gele Galore], I want to have her information, so I know about her. So when someone asks me, ‘hey, you know who this is?’ I do, and she’s right here in Augusta.”
Though the event primarily showcased businesses from Augusta and surrounding areas, some business owners came from out of town to sell their wares and connect with buyers and other entrepreneurs.
Chauncey and Maya Anderson of Rooted Vines, which sells organic loose leaf tea blends and related products, drove from Fayetteville, Ga. to participate in the Augusta Melanin Market.
“If we can’t exchange dollars with each other, and if we can’t, you know, speak to each other and network together, then it’s all forgotten,” said Maya saw the expo as an opportunity to branch out their own business as well as connect with others regionally.
“You take a Nike, you take Amazon, you take Microsoft, many of these companies, whether it’s tech or herbs or different [products], you have to be willing to communicate, , first and foremost, within the scope of your community,” said Chauncey.
The market promotes Black businesses, but the products and community offered is for all, notes Neely, as the entry booth to the market had a poster that reads “Black Owned is for Everyone.”
Neely plans for future iterations of the Melanin Market to also have artists and performers, and urges supporters to give it space to grow to the status of the Augusta Market, which, she says, is ultimately about creating community.
“One of the biggest things about this market is that people will leave here with connections,” Neely said.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering general reporting for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com
