The first Black Market in Bloomington was open just three months before being burned down by members of the Ku Klux Klan.
The market, established in 1968 at the corner of Dunn Street and Kirkwood Avenue, allowed local black business owners a place to buy and sell products made within the black community.
Nearly 50 years later, students of the IU Black Graduate Student Association have taken to creating their own Black Market, open for one day each year during Black History Month.
Katrina Overby, a fifth-year graduate student and community service chair of BGSA, said she was inspired to organize the first commemorative Black Market four years ago with friends after learning about the original market that burned down Dec. 26, 1968.
“It’s just a way to commemorate the work that black entrepreneurs have been doing, just acknowledging what it takes to be a black business in an area where there aren’t that many African Americans,” Overby said.
This year’s market was Friday at the Bethel AME Church and featured 10 to 12 local Bloomington businesses. These businesses sold handcrafted goods, food, services and more, while helping black students and Bloomington residents discover products and services that are vital to their community and that they may be unable to find elsewhere.
Gloria Howell, a third-year graduate student and BGSA secretary, said the market also helps support businesses in Bloomington that may not receive as much exposure as other “mainstream” businesses.
“A lot of these people, they sell things they may not have in actual locations perhaps,” Howell said. “Black Market Friday gives black businesses a presence they may not have otherwise.”
By attending the market, many people learn about various Bloomington businesses for the first time, Howell said.
“It’s big, it’s special,” she said. “It’s a way for us as a student organization to bridge the gap between us and the community.”
Each vendor at the event was also asked to provide an item for a silent auction with proceeds benefitting BGSA community outreach programs.
Authors Audrey Thomas McCluskey and Janet Cheatham Bell sold copies of their latest books on topics of black culture and history. Eight-year-old Naimah Saahir helped her parents sell key chains, learning a lesson along the way.
“A black man invented the key chain,” Saahir said, referencing inventor Frederick J. Loudin.
At this year’s market, BGSA awarded its first Business of the Year title to Hoosier Barber Shop for good customer service.
Barber Jay Thompson said the award blew him away.
“I’m very excited about it,” Thompson said. “We want to be more than just a barbershop, but also a resource. We’re more than just a place to get your hair cut.”
BGSA also invited Wayne Kimball Jr., vice president of global growth at human resource company Act-1 Group, to speak on entrepreneurship and the history of Tulsa, Oklahoma, otherwise known as Black Wall Street.
Kimball encouraged those at the market to reflect upon the past and to support local black business owners, who are often in the minority of businesses across the nation.
“Be your brother’s keeper,” Kimball said. “Today is the day to empower those around us.”
Marvin Jones, a second-year graduate student and BGSA vice president, said he specifically sought out Kimball as Friday’s Black Market speaker not only because of his knowledge of black business, but also because of his experience as a motivational speaker.
“We wanted to help inspire as many of the patrons who came, as well as the businesses, to continue to grow and better themselves,” Jones said.
Kimball’s speech reflected the message Howell said she hoped people would gain from visiting the market.
“We hope that people take away that there are black-owned businesses in Bloomington,” Howell said. “And we support our own.”
