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New Orleans - Page 2

5 mins read

Why Are There So Few Black-Owned Grocery Stores?

The full-service supermarket that Circle Food Store owner Dwayne Bourdeaux runs in New Orleans’ Seventh Ward is clean and stocked with locally sourced produce that arrives with days to spare.

Dwayne Bourdeaux, owner Circle Food Store

The butcher cuts meat daily in the store and offers not only standard cuts, but also items that are locally popular—raccoon, pig lips, pig ears, rabbit, and so on.

Concerned about the rate of diabetes and hypertension among African-Americans—the majority of his customers—Bourdeaux not only sells healthy food, but also incentivizes it by offering $5 worth of free, fresh produce to those who spend $5 on it.

“You should serve the community, because it’s not all about making money,” says Boudreaux, an African-American in his early 40s, who lives seven minutes from the store he has worked at nearly his whole life, before taking it over from his father. “I’d sell more liquor, alcohol, cigarettes, and fried foods if I wanted to make more money.”

Dwayne Boudreaux in Circle Foods.

Dwayne Boudreaux in Circle Foods. (Photo courtesy of Hope Credit Union)

But, he continues, “to be a part of the community, you don’t take the money out of the community and not reinvest it back into it. It’s like a family—you have to nurture it, you have to provide for it, you have to look out for people. To be a part of the community, you have got to care.”

His is a rare success in Black and brown communities nationwide, but not for lack of effort. In fact, Boudreaux is one of the nation’s few remaining Black people operating full-service supermarkets.

No organizations track the number, but sources familiar with the situation and some of the remaining grocers suggest that fewer than 10 Black-owned supermarkets remain across the entire country.

And the number continues to shrink: In the past two years alone, Sterling Farms in New Orleans, Apples and Oranges in Baltimore, and several branches of Calhoun’s in Alabama have all gone out of business.

This is problematic because strong anchor businesses like grocery stores can serve as the center of neighborhood economies, recirculating local revenues through wages and nearby businesses. They can also be neighborhood hubs, where people go to buy good food as well as employment centers and sources of community pride.

Kia Patterson, owner of Compton Grocery Outlet

But where there are no grocery stores, or where they’re not enmeshed in the fabric of the community, problems arise: Grocery store ownership directly ties to larger struggles and themes like economic stability, self-determination, power, control, and racial and class stratification, says Malik Yakini.

Yakini is the director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, an organization that builds self-reliance, food security, and justice in Detroit’s Black community. When a neighborhood loses a local grocery store, he says, the African-American community essentially becomes what he describes as a “domestic colony.”

“[Black neighborhoods] are seen as a place for the more dominant economy to sell things,” Yakini says. “We’re more interested in building community, self-determination, and self-reliance. We’re interested in being more than consumers of goods that others bring to sell, and often goods that are inferior to what’s sold in the white community.

“We’re not a place to dump cheap goods,” Yakini continues. “African-American communities need to be producers of goods and stand eyeball to eyeball and shoulder to shoulder to other economic groups. Those that haven’t are subject to all sorts of abuse.”

Read the full article at Civil Eats

 

Related:  First Black Owned Grocery Store Franchise Opens in Compton

4 mins read

Why This New Orleans Yoga Studio Plans to Expand into West Africa

Adrianne “Ajax” Jackson is the owner of the Only Black owned Yoga studio in New Orleans. During a recent chat with her about her upcoming one year anniversary, she mentioned an interest in expanding her business to Nigeria or Ghana.

Adrianne “Ajax” Jackson

Since Shoppe Black is all about bridging the gap between Black folks on the continent and in the diaspora, we were curious to find out what inspired this decision.

This is what she had to say:

Expanding to  West Africa

A big part of what I do is traveling and building relationships with people all over the world. It is inexplicably beautiful to meet people who are seemingly so different from you only to realize how alike we all really are.

Expanding to West Africa came to me in a very clear vision; a yoga & meditation hub on the coast of West Africa! I could see the windows, the architecture & the landscaping! Intuitively I knew that would be the next big venture.

WHY?

As a Black woman and as a yoga teacher, I recognize the yearning for self knowledge in my students and in the Black community.

West Africa is a crucial part of our history and our heritage. Expanding there would enable me to use yoga as a bridge between my community here and communities there.

The literal meaning of the word ‘yoga’ is union, and I think there is something incredibly special and revolutionary in being able to unite two communities of shared heritage through something as positive and healing as yoga practice.

New Orleans Motivation

Watching new students, especially black men, explore yoga and begin to recognize the benefits for themselves is extremely rewarding.

These kinds of revelations that I see regularly, have sparked the desire to extend my student reach and also offer my students even more than the gift of yoga.

This community motivates and inspires me to build a close knit, cross-continental community that fosters the encouragement and support I work to continuously offer my students.

First year in business

Throughout this year of owning Magnolia Yoga Studio I have become increasingly aware of our communal hunger to reclaim our health, power, and self discovery.

We deserve and need know who we are. The practice of yoga and bridge to our ancestral land is a beautiful, transformational, and revolutionary way of learning and understanding ourselves as well as connecting with the diaspora in West Africa.

 Yoga is the Key

I hope to inspire a collective healing through yoga and rediscovery of our identity as member of the African diaspora. I deeply believe that yoga is a key component to who we are as a people and where we are going. I love to be able to cast a wider net as to who I can encourage to practice yoga.

It is so essential in stress reduction, connecting with our bodies, and loving ourselves. I believe that each individual deserves to experience these benefits.

The Goal

I would love to see this expansion foster personal and genuine relationships between my students in New Orleans and West Africa.

I hope that this goal of blending yoga and diasporic community building will become part of a larger realization that yes, yoga makes sense as a healing process and practice that will bring us closer.

– Sierra Armstrong & Adrianne “Ajax” Jacskon

Find out more about Magnolia Yoga Studio and their events here.

13 mins read

Magnolia Yoga Studio: The First Black Owned Yogo Studio in New Orleans

I took my first yoga class a couple years ago. I was initially reluctant because I didn’t consider yoga to be a real workout. I was sadly mistaken.

That class kicked my ass and forced me to put some “respek” on yoga’s name. I now understand how important the art form of yoga is, and was eager to speak with Ajax Jaxon, owner of Magnolia Yoga Studio.

This is what she had to say:

SB: How did you become interested in yoga?

AJ: In 2003, I met a very sweet older man from Iceland named Frosty. He invited me to my first yoga class and I agreed.

I was completely clueless that this decision would catapult me to my greatest passion and life’s work! I loved my first yoga class and wanted more once it was over.

I started practicing and made it a big part of my everyday life. It took another four years, turning 30 and getting laid off for me to take another leap of faith and become an internationally certified yoga teacher.

SB: How can yoga be used for different types of healing?  

AJ: Yoga is a healing art form, a discipline and an ancient technology still very relevant for our modern day illnesses. The Yoga approach is comprehensive, working with the multiple facets of who we are as people. All dimensions are touched on as you get deeper and deeper into the practice. However, the most fundamental level of healing that yoga addresses is the physical body.

We then move to the mind and, once the mind-body connection is in sync, one starts to explore the emotional body and energetic body. This tends to be the order but it’s not set in stone, as yoga reaches each person in different ways. I always say a yoga practice is one of the most intimate things a person can experience.

Yet, people often don’t initially know why they like yoga or return for classes. It can be elusive and hard to put into words. It’s ancestral, natural and mythical, as yoga is said to be a gift from Mother Nature to humanity. It’s ours to use and benefit from.

However, let’s briefly break down the physical healing that occurs with yoga, especially hot yoga. Two systems are being intentionally used to bring forth health, energy, vitality, healing and well-being. First, you address the respiratory system with the huge amounts of deep breathing done from the very beginning of class to the very end. The respiratory system is assisted by the circulatory system, which increases due to all the movement and the heat, which speeds up the blood flow 2-3 times faster than normal.

The heat also thins the blood, allowing blood to flow into places inside the body that don’t receive sufficient blood flow throughout the day due to a sedentary lifestyle. This blood become so rich with oxygen from all the deep breathing, and the postures then deliver all this rich oxygenated blood throughout the entire body to every organ, gland, muscle, joint and bone. It’s a simple yet significant science. Most illnesses and diseases, if you trace them back far enough, start due to poor circulation.

So, we increase the blood flow and oxygen levels by practicing in the heat the series of 26 posture and 2 breathing exercises at Magnolia Yoga. This combo takes each student through every system of the body, nourishing the body with the basics it needs to naturally heal.

The postures also create space in the body so that the spine can naturally shift back into its proper alignment. The same shift is happening with the internal organs and glands. In addition practicing yoga reduces stress when you reduce stress one supports the immune system protecting the body from illness & disease.

With a regular and consistent practice, I have personally experienced these benefits and as a full time teacher I have been able to help countless others reduce, reverse and completely eliminate a wide range of issues including asthma, stress, insomnia, depression, anxiety, diabetes, blood pressure, thyroid issues, reduced range of motion, a wide range of serious spinal injuries and pain, joint pain, migraines, bronchitis, heart conditions, tendonitis, arthritis, weight management and low self-esteem. I have also seen Yoga Increase self-acceptance, self-confidence and self-love within my students.

SB: Do you feel more Black people should take an interest in yoga. And why? 

 AJ: I would absolutely love to inspire, encourage and ultimately support Black folks and their yoga journey.  I became certified to teach everyone with a personal aspiration to reach out to people of color and men.

These two demographics would benefit tremendously from a regular yoga practice. African-Americans, in particular, suffer from the highest numbers of physical and mental health conditions, as well as societal concerns.

Photo credit: Peter Koloff

Yoga can help us tremendously take our health and power back. In a yoga class, one gets this golden opportunity to reflect, reorganize and remember what is really important, who we really are and what we really aspire for ourselves as a collective and as individuals.

Life can be busy and hectic and it’s so easy to get bogged down and clogged up with negative thoughts and mental debris. Within a yoga class one gets a chance to clear out so new, creative and positive thoughts have a chance to percolate.

yoga

Yoga is usually last on everyone’s list. Once they tried everything else, then they try yoga. As a race, I profoundly feel we are at the end our list. We have tried so many things and have seen some progress, but it’s time to go deeper.

It’s imperative to find time to go within. I think yoga and meditation is one of the most revolutionary acts one can do, because, for up to 1 or 2 hours a day, you tell the world you are unavailable.

Whether it is your kids, boss, students or clients, you model for them that you come first and in order for you to serve them or anyone, you first have to serve yourself.

So, yes, we need yoga for physical and mental health,  but also to help us to continue to self-realize and to help follow through with our next steps as minorities in this country where our positions, rights and health are not guaranteed.

Yoga
Photo Credit: Kee’s Little Feet Photography

SB: What challenges did you encounter while trying to get the business set up?  

AJ: Aside from raising capital and staying on budget for a brand new build out, I had to dig deep in my private moments to resurrect enough belief in myself.

I had to pray and meditate on whether or not I would have the passion, stamina, expertise and grace to run a yoga studio committed to helping people through the challenges we go through in life.

I quickly noticed how the Universe was making many things easy for me, which gave me a lot of confidence that my destiny was manifesting and not even I could stop it.

In addition to this, right before I signed my lease, my Godson was diagnosed with leukemia. He lives in California and I had to rush out there and tend to him through this life threatened diagnosis, while the building of the studio commenced.

For a good period of time, I was very unsure about moving forward with opening a studio in New Orleans. After consulting with him, the rest of my family and our team of doctors I went ahead and took another huge leap of faith and signed a 5-year lease agreement to open Magnolia Yoga.

Since then, he has been doing well, with some setbacks. Through an amazing family support system and me flying back and forth, we are doing our best to support him through his cancer treatment.

The beauty through this particular challenge and other tough ones is that I now know what it takes to support a family member through cancer, and I can teach and support others from my experience. A true leader leads from experience.

 

SB: What is the most gratifying part about what you are doing?

AJ: There are a few things that give me gratification and one is when the yoga room is filled with people of color, men in particular! When that happens? I know my message is reaching and penetrating my target audience. But, the most gratifying part of my work is when people tell me how much better they are feeling.

How well they are sleeping through the night and how they can bend and move in ways they haven’t been able to in years. How their doctors are reducing and removing medications because their blood pressure has improved or their energy and metabolism has boosted and they don’t need as much or any thyroid meds.

Basically, when students share with me how the yoga is working for them. And these results often happens right away! Those stories and testimonies of stress relief and having more harmonious relationships with their kids and coworkers keeps me super motivated.

SB:What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

AJ: I think unrelenting belief in yourself is a priority. Having the commitment to your business and service is paramount, which means doing all that you can to help it grow.

This includes taking care of yourself and eating and sleeping well, as much as one might be out networking and building community connections.  To look at building your business as a person-by-person endeavor that requires an authentic connection and passion is essential!

 

-Tony Oluwatoyin Lawson

2 mins read

Shoppe Black presents: “Jollof and Jambalaya” bka The Blackest Wedding Ever

On November 19th 2016, I married my soulmate. It was a perfect blend of her New Orleans roots and my Nigerian culture. One of the things I learned is how African the city of New Orleans is and how connected we are as a people.

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Photo Credit: Delphine Fawundu

Friends and family came to celebrate from all over the world and we made sure they had the time of their lives.

One of the things that touches us the most are the messages we are getting from friends and strangers telling us how much they needed to be a part of or see something like this.

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Especially right now, when the world is telling us that our lives are insignificant, that our joy does not matter, that our humanity is questionable.

Photo credit: Nicola Omatsola
Photo credit: Nicola Omatsola

If nothing else, our celebration is not only a symbol of the love we have for one another, and that of the community that surrounds us but that Black Love Matters. It’s political. It’s resistance. It’s ancient. It’s powerful. Nobody can take that away from us.

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Photo Credit: Laylah Amatullah Barrayn

We’ll get more into details soon but for now, enjoy these videos that include the second line that took place right after the wedding ceremony and the photo shoot turned music video. Shout out to Alex K. Colby, our amazing filmmaker and friend who directed, produced and edited all of this amazing footage.

#jollofandjambalaya

#blackestweddingever

 

-Tony Oluwatoyin Lawson

1 min read

Black Owned Businesses & Organizations in New Orleans

“Nawlins” is one of the most fascinating cities in the U.S., if not the world. Few cities are known for everything from the food and music to the rich history and cultural traditions. New Orleans is also home sweet home to my wife/co-founder Shantrelle and the location of our wedding! #BlackestWeddingEver #JollofAndJambalaya

That being said, we had to list some Black owned businesses, organizations, and attractions for those who will be visiting the city.

Black Owned New Orleans

Cajun Fire 

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Lil Dizzy’s Cafe 

black owned

Victory

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Neyow’s Creole Cafe is an informal establishment supplying Creole & other Southern-inspired dishes & cocktails.

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Coco Hut 

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Hubbard Mansion 

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La Maison Vacation Rental 

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Pro Fitness Trainers 

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Mona’s Accents 

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Anthony Bean Community Theater & Acting School (ABCT) 

New Orleans

Hope Federal Credit Union 

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The McKenna Museum of African American Art

black owned New Orleans

Le Musee de f.p.c. 

black owned New Orleans

The Amistad Research CenterNew Orleans

Ashé Cultural Arts Center 

black owned New Orleans

LA Creole

New Orleans

 

-Tony O. Lawson