Local Black-owned businesses share message of empowerment

SEASIDE, Calif. (KION)

In honor of Black History Month, local business owners shared their experience making it in business and sending a message of encouragement to future generations.

While the pandemic and racial injustice movements brought an impact nationwide, local Black-owned business like HEM Nutrition in Seaside say they want their places of business to feel safe and welcoming to everyone, regardless of who they are and where they come from.

“Myself and most of our team here, actually our entire team here, are minorities and so to create a space where you know you are welcome here, you can sit with us, you do have a seat here, your ideas are valuable," says HEM Nutrition owner, Asia Smith.

Smith says starting any business is challenging, but used her business for good during the last year, even providing free shakes and overall support to anyone in need.

Smith says anyone can achieve their goals regardless of the color of their skin.

“Seeing how that’s kind of created in this culture, I absolutely believe it’s going to be passed down, whether my kids want to have their own business one day or not, knowing that they can," says Smith.

No one knows the challenges better than John Foster, who was able to turn a stereotype towards him into creating his businesses, Johnny Wicks Candle Co. and Basic Boyz Club clothing line.

“Basic Boyz Club, it started off as a joke. All my life I was always told I don’t act black, I always found that kind of weird, like, how do you act black? I’m educated and I don’t cuss that much and everyone was…you’re not gangster, you don’t act hard and I was like no, I’m not. I’m just basic, I’m just a basic boy," says Foster.

Foster says stereotypes did not stop him from continuing to grow his businesses, even using them to give back to foster youth.

Others say the Black Lives Matter Movements of last summer brought to light the need for change.

“It’s been a year of reckoning, is what it has been. We all are going through something, and the added something that I don’t need to go through is the added something of my color will stop me from doing something," says Germain Hatcher, owner of Imagine Art Supplies in Pacific Grove.

While studies show Black-owned businesses have seen more of a negative impactive than whites, these local business owners say they have seen support from their clients and other members of the community throughout the last year.

These business owners say respecting and encouraging others in their journey towards success is the best thing to do during these times.