LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Sunday marked the start of 502 Black Business Week, an initiative aimed at supporting and highlighting Black business owners in Louisville.

Organizers say 502 Black Business Week is strategically aligned with Juneteenth while also encouraging people to support local Black-owned businesses. They say they hope this movement can help create a more equitable playing field for Black entrepreneurs.

“This is a launch of my new product,” Lindsey Arnold said as she participated in the West End Farmers Market. “It’s called Sebastian’s Golden Immunity Fire Honey.”

Arnold explained the idea for her honey came as her son was dealing with health issues.

“Last year he had strep almost every month, if not twice a month, chronic back and neck pain,” she added. “And so I decided that, hey, something natural has to work for him, so I came up with this infusion.”

Arnold said it helped heal her son, so she is now hoping to turn this into a business venture.

“I would love to have a bee farm where I can spread it to the community, where I can take it into the schools and teach children about the importance of the bees and things like that,” she pointed out.

Arnold was just one of many Black business owners who showed up for the start of 502 Black Business Week at the West End Farmer’s Market. The initiative highlights Louisville’s Black-owned businesses through things like exclusive promotions and community engagement.

T’Von Terry, the market’s director, said the vendors have built a community that supports each other.

“A lot of our vendors are connected with each other, sharing resources, whether it’s berries they don’t have for their fruit bowl or a clothing person that helps them design their things,” he explained. “The community itself, regardless of how you choose to participate is powerful.”

Organizers for 502 Black Business Week say the goal is to drive traffic, increase revenue, and raise awareness for the Black-owned brands in the city.

That is something Arnold thinks is crucial for aspiring entrepreneurs like herself.

“I just think it’s important for us to be represented and not that we are just small businesses, but that we can birth this into enterprises,” she commented.

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