Through June 12, 2021 – Roxbury, MA– Black Market and Madison Park Development Corporation (MPDC) are both celebrating pivotal milestones in 2021 with Black Market celebrating its fourth birthday and MPDC commemorating its 55th Anniversary. In February, Black Market and MPDC announced a unique equity-centered partnership with the purchase of the building, which is home to Black Market located at 2136 Washington Street with technical support from the City of Boston. There is a lot to celebrate!
Black Market & MPDC are pleased to announce the ‘BUY THE BLOCK PARTY: UNITY DAY EDITION’ on Saturday, June 12th from 1 to 6 pm on the refreshed Black Lives Matter Street Mural in Nubian Square between Eustis and Palmer Streets.
BUY THE BLOCK: UNITY DAY EDITION is a day to celebrate Black-ownership in Roxbury will feature live music, food, artists, non-profits, small businesses, and vendors in the district. The highlight of the event will be the repainting of the Black Lives Matter mural originally painted in 2020. The Community-driven social-justice-oriented street mural kicked off the Nubian Square Public Art Initiative last July led by Black Market during the racial reckoning and height of the Global pandemic of 2020.
This event honors the broader vision of economic self-sufficiency for Roxbury, where local ownership directly blocks speculation and displacement and ensures future development that will focus on investments in businesses, art, and culture in our community. ‘Buying the Block’ represents a key strategy that results in sustainable economic development and builds equity that directly addresses the wealth gap in our community.
This year, MPDC marks 55 years since its founding. MPDC was born out of both an innovative vision for the future and necessity during an era in which the Roxbury community faced unprecedented challenges grounded in racial and economic injustices.
“As we celebrate the 55th anniversary of our founding, it is incredibly meaningful to be fulfilling our mission through a unique relationship with a mission-driven entity organization like Black Market. Chris and Kai’s ability to be the change they want to see directly honors the legacy of our founders’ vision for a community-owned and built by its residents,” Leslie Reid MPDC CEO reflects.
Black Market was launched in 2017 by long-time Roxbury residents and entrepreneurs Kai and Christopher Grant to reignite the creative economy of Roxbury. “We carry the cultural torch of Afro-centered institutions like A Nubian Notion established in 1968 by Malik Abdal Khallaq in addition to Ujamaa Mart, International Roots and the Black Rep Theatre into the future. Roxbury is moving into a new dispensation and the long-time residents are, once again, leading a game-changing renaissance in the heart of the City”.
