by Rob Taylor Jr., Courier Staff Writer
It’s a Sunday afternoon, and many youth are inside playing video games, on their smartphones, or playing outside if the temperature’s warm enough.
But on this particular Sunday afternoon, this particular group of Black youth were doing something else—selling their products to the public.
Yep, they’re youth entrepreneurs, making everything from notebooks with inspirational messages to bracelets with inspirational messages. Others are creating T-shirts for kids—and dogs. And some are creating lip puckers, holiday mugs and tote bags.
Thirteen-year-old Jazmiere Bates, who has been selling T-shirts for kids, dogs and cats for about a year under the business name “Kin of Duncan,” wanted to create an event where youth similar to her could showcase their products. Oftentimes, if she was a vendor at an event, she’d be the youngest person there or the only African American.
Thus, the Youthpreneur Marketplace was created by Bates and her mother, Jasmine Duncan, and was held at the Gallery on Penn in East Liberty, Sunday, Jan. 19. Adults and kids alike walked into the location and, by all accounts, enjoyed the selection of products for sale. Karlissia Council, 24, came in and bought all the remaining educational books that “Willie’s Toy Chest” had on its table.
“I love the kids, this used to be me back in the day. I always had a business since I was little, always trying to sell something,” Council told the New Pittsburgh Courier. “So, it’s just nice to give back to people who are doing the same thing.”
Willie Rowley is the little man behind “Willie’s Toy Chest.” In addition to the books, he sells action figures, dinosaurs and other items from his vast toy collection. “Hopefully I’m helping him (Willie) to achieve his dreams and his goals, and (show him) that he can do anything,” Council said.
Rayonna Bennett, 10, is the mastermind behind “Charm By Ray,” and she told the Courier she wanted to create custom-made bracelets, hair clips and keychains with words on them that would make girls in her age bracket feel beautiful and have more self-confidence. Some of the words are “dream,” “pretty,” “funny,” and “sassy.” She also has a clothing line called “BFF,” which stands for “Best Friend Forever.” The shirts show two girls on the front; one is more outgoing, the other is more conservative. But together, the friends create the perfect match.
Across the country, there is a movement to encourage youth on the path to entrepreneurship. Labeled “Entrepreneurship Education,” a number of workforce development organizations and universities encourage or participate in the initiative which helps prepare middle- and high-school students to become entrepreneurs.
According to a general outline of Entrepreneurship Education, it teaches students how to collaborate and work with a team, how to speak in public and prepare an effective presentation, how to collect and analyze data, how to use social media as an advocacy tool, how to solve real, complex problems that don’t have a definite answer, and how to use curiosity and creativity to find an innovative approach to difficult problems.
The “Peyton Createz” table was buzzing at the Youthpreneur Marketplace event, as Hill District resident Tenika Chavis and her three daughters, Ayana, Danielle and Madison, were checking out the lip puckers, charm bangles, holiday mugs and tote bags that 8-year-old Peyton Goodwin had for sale.
“I came to support because I believe in entrepreneurship,” Chavis, who runs theladycarpenter.com, told the Courier. “Me, as a single mom, I work as a carpenter, but I also run my business, and without my entrepreneurial spirit, I would really be in trouble. Raising my three daughters is difficult.”
Chavis said to see Black youth with an entrepreneurial spirit this early in life is refreshing. “This is helping them for the future because a lot of our youth get caught up in what they see right in front of them, or something that happened to their friend or environment. But these kids had a vision, something that was in them, and they saw it come to life. They’re committed to something greater than themselves. An obstacle might stop another kid, but it won’t stop these kids.”
(ABOUT THE TOP PHOTO: NIKO OLVERSON AND NAIR MILLER are two-thirds of the team that created “The Inn Crowd,” a local business that sells clothing for kids.)
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