Jalan Ward | Published August 25, 2021
The beauty of a community is learning, gaining the knowledge of its history, and understanding the people who come from these significant areas. TheProudBlackBrand was fortunate enough, with the help of APB, to create our first ever "Store Tour"! The purpose being to connect with the public with important discussions, networking opportunities, and implementing ideas for the community's future.
As the brand embarked on a 3-day tour (3 store pop-up), each stop delivered a different approach on what it truly means to be "Proud Black". So let's give a brief synopsis on each stop because it was amazing to experience in-person!
First up was Jacksonville, Florida. An area where you can see the community's growth, and development. With Jacksonville being a well-known area, I was anticipating the arrival with much excitement. After hearing from some of the attendees from the event, I felt utilizing your network in the city of Jacksonville to flourish was quite a challenge. However, when working together, you find that there are groups of people who will support you. The first stop involved a diverse group of attendees from different backgrounds which was great in starting our tour. We got a chance to hear individuals envision the future for themselves, and most importantly, towards their community. A really special group nonetheless, with unique talents. From photography, brand owners, to even media specialists, it was great to see people so passionate with their crafts. Jacksonville is a great place to revisit, and enjoy the culture, to say the least.
Day 2 consisted of visiting one of the most cultural cities in the United States, some will say. Charleston, South Carolina was nothing short of an eye-opener. I took a different approach for this visit. Knowing how much I've heard about the city of Charleston, I really wanted to hear from the public on how they felt about overcoming adversity in this city. It was incredible to hear the opinions from a range of ages discuss their ideas, and goals to help impact Charleston. All I wanted to do was be a sponge, and soak up the knowledge to understand how I can help contribute in a way that would make sense to the public. A very deep conversation, and I'm very appreciative to have met some great people who represent the city in such a profound way.
Day 3, I arrived to Columbia, South Carolina, which was the end of our amazing tour. We ended on a great note by attending this discussion and coming from a different perspective. We wanted to make this visit very much open-ended, with a range of topics to choose from. We talked about the importance of HBCU's, Hip-Hop & "Cancelling Culture", and even kids being inspired by the false leaders. It was a pretty unique discussion, and we even helped get a young lady a chance to be granted employment at the APB Store in Columbia. God is great as he continues to work through the brand.
The PBB "Store Tour" was super fun, and as a thriving company, we will continue to find ways to reach the public, and to impact the best way we know how. Thank you to each and everyone who played a huge part in making this tour happen! This could not have been done without everyone helping contribute to connect with communities all over the world.
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
APB TEAM
THE WHITAKER GROUP
TheProudBlackBrand Team
Comments