Uptown Saint John Businesses Raising Funds For N.B. Black History Society
SAINT JOHN — Some businesses in uptown Saint John have teamed up to raise money for the New Brunswick Black History Society.
The raffle campaign launched on Monday and includes 25 businesses and restaurants in uptown Saint John. It was organized by Emily Saab and KC Wilcox, owners of vintage clothing and art store, Visitors, in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and in the wake of the killings of people like George Floyd, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, Chantel Moore, Rodney Levi.
“It felt like a really tangible action that we could take by using our skills and our platform to raise money for the New Brunswick Black History Society,” said Saab.
“KC and I kind of launched the idea. We reached out to as many businesses and restaurants uptown as we could and received lots of enthusiastic responses and folks quickly got on board.”
There will be a multiple-prize draw for $1,200 worth of goods and services from Visitors; Ethel & Mary’s; Good Fibrations; Handworks Gallery; TUCK Studio; Backstreet Records; Heroes’ Beacon; Jeremiah’s Deli & Catering; Vitos; The Art Warehouse; Riff Raff Skate Shop; The Urban Shoe Myth; Heartbreak Boutique; The Feel Good Store; Picaroons General Store & Picaroons Brewing Company; The Yoga Co-op; Sankara Cuisine; Cobalt Gallery & John Law Corp; The Corn Crib; In Pursuit Mobile Boutique; Hair by Nicol; Lavish Aesthetics Studio; Bella’s Traditional Ice Cream; Saint John Tool Library and Wix Woodworks.
Saab says they were happy, but not surprised by the business community’s response.
“KC and I are white business owners and we know that BIPOC (black, indigenous and people of color) people have been fighting for racial equity for decades, centuries even. The past month of rallies and demonstrations have really been a reckoning for us, a call to action I would say,” says Saab.
“We wish we’d been here our whole lives, but we’re here now and can not continue with business and usual, and I’m getting the sense that other businesses uptown and in our community are feeling the same way.”
Tickets for the raffle can be purchased online through the Visitors website as well as at any of the participating businesses. Since launching on Monday, over 400 tickets have been sold and over $2000 has been raised. The fundraising goal is $10,000.
“People are not just buying one ticket, although one ticket is amazing,” says Saab. “People are buying multiple tickets and we know it’s not just so they have a higher chance of winning the big prize pack at the end. It’s because they have the funds to give and this is a channel they can give through.”
All of the raffle proceeds will go directly to the New Brunswick Black History Society, an affiliate of Prude Inc., and will go towards the organization’s ongoing research and educational outreach programs.
“We recognize that black history is the story of our city and our province and that access to local black history is essential. We need a complete understanding of our past, a sense of the whole picture, so we can move forward in truth and work together to build racial equity in our community and in our province.”
Raffle winners will be drawn on Saturday, June 27.