O ctober 5, 1994 • T he P ortland O bserver
P age C4
Black Market Co-Op Forms To
Support Black Business Development
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Pin llis G ains
It isn't often that someone with
an idea for a new business can
find an outlet to test their theory
and try to find the right market.
This is especially d ifficu lt and
true for m inorities who may
struggle for years trying to work
out of their basement or spare
bedroom , se e king o u t the
occasional craft show to sell
their products.
The Black Market Co-O p was
organized specifically to address this
frustration. The founding C o-O p
members met earlier this year while
participating in the Black Business
Expo, sponsored by PCC Cascade
Campusevery February during Black
History Month. They were disap­
pointed in the attendance at the event,
as well as the fact that it occurred
only once a year. They began to
discuss ways to improve the Expo
and ended up deciding to create their
own.
"It made no sense for us to com ­
plain about an activity over which we
had no control,” said Phyliss Gaines,
one of the founding members and
owner of Vessels, 'T ablew are With
M eaning.’ "It s PCC’s budget and
staff, and we just pay our money to
have a space. Some of us volunteered
to help, but it was difficult to have
any impact on the decisions."
For these reasons, a number of
the vendors met the very next month
to plan another marketplace. After a
couple of meetings, a core group of
business owners formed the Black
M arket Co-Op. dedicated to provid­
ing a regular series of marketing
events to promote and encourage
minority business development. In
addition to Gaines, founding mem­
bers include Roslyn Hill, Shades of
Color Ethnic Art Gallery; Donnie
Lewis. Donnie's; Raymond Quinton,
the Herald-Times new spaper; Evelyn
W arren. W earable Accessories; and
Robert Livingston. Diane’s Gems.
The Co-Op committee pooled
their funds to rent a building and buy
advertising. They invited more than
150 minority-owned businesses to
participate by renting a space for the
day. Their first Market Co-Op was
held June 18 at the OAME Cascade
Plaza building. A community cel­
ebration of Juneteenth. the event fea­
tured good food, many popular local
musicians and community groups, as
well as 34 African-American busi­
(r
(Celebrati ing
rv I moruy
9
ness owners selling a wide variety of
products, many of them Afro-centric
and hand-made. The event was a
community success with over 400
people attending.
The next Black M arket Co-Op
will be held October 14 and 15, again
at the OAM E Cascade Plaza build­
ing. At the "Pre-Holiday Extrava­
ganza," businesses will have the op­
portunity to celebrate the up-coming
holidays and begin to capture those
spending dollars early. Cost to par­
ticipate in the 2-day event is $50; a
few spaces are still available. Inter­
ested business ow ners should pick­
up an application at the Shades of
Color Gallery, located at 316 NE
Thompson Street. A deposit o f $25 is
required to reserve a table.
The Black M arket Co-O p runs
from 6-9 P.M. on Friday, October
14, and 10 A M. - 6 P.M. Saturday,
October 15. The event will feature
holiday entertainment and raffles held
throughout the day. Admission is
free, and the public is asked to bring
two canned food items for holiday
baskets for the needy. For more in­
formation. call 288-3779 or 249-
1849. The Co-O p committee intends
to hold at least four M arket Co-O p’s
throughout 1995.
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THE TRAIL BLAZERS &
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ACTIVELY SUPPORT & ENCOURAGE
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B u s in e s s e s >
¿Enterprise ßor the wee
Septem ber 28th & Octoh er 5th.
Call (503) 288-0033 to learn about Advertising in
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Proudly Acknowledges, Salutes,
Support And Utilizes
Minority Business Enterprises
On The
Oregon Arena Project.
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Drake/Turner, Joint Venture is an Equal Opportunity
Employer and requests subcontractor bids from
Disadvantaged, Minority, Women Business Enterprises and
Viet Nam Veterans. Disabled Veterans and Emerging Small
Business Enterprises Are encouraged to apply.
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FOR THE FUTURE
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