CREATED
CREATED OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR ALL OF US HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
THIS MONTH .. BLACK HISTORY
MONTH.. WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT
HOW SOME OF THOSE ISSUES HAVE
IMPACTED COMMUNITIES OF
COLOR IN AUSTIN. AND
HIGHLIGHTING PEOPLE MAKING
HISTORY TODAY ..
TO MAKE SURE THOSE COMMUNITIES
ARE THRIVING AND
NOT FORGOTTEN.
WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH KVUE'S
DARANESHA HERRON-- WHO MET
TWO ENTREPRENEURS, PAVING THE
WAY FOR BLACK-OWNED
BUSINESSES.
BUSINESSES. SNEAKERS ARE NOT JUST SHOES,
THEY HOLD HISTORY, EXPRESS STYLE AND TELL A STORY.
14:57:39:29 "MY STAFF IS SUPER
KNOWLEDGEABLE HERE SO WE CAN
TELL YOU ABOUT ANY SHOE ON THE
WALL."
GREG GROVEY IS THE OWNER OF
KICKIN IT ATX, A ONE OF A KIND
SNEAKER SOCIAL AT THE DOMAIN
NORTHSIDE-
14:49:48 "A SOCIAL IS JUST
SOMEWHERE YOU CAN COME HANG
OUT AND MEET WITH LIKE-MINDED
PEOPLE.
THEY LACE YOU UP IN THE LATEST
KICKS AND APPAREL, WHILE
YOU KICK IT.
14:49:15 "WE HAVE A BAR, WE HAVE
A LOUNGE AREA, WE WATCH FIGHTS,
WE
WATCH FOOTBALL GAMES, AND IT'S
AN AREA WHERE YOU CAN FEEL
RELAXED
AND NOT FEEL PRESSURED."
NATS
GROVEY A DALLAS NATIVE - HAS
ALWAYS HAD A LOVE FOR
SNEAKERS.
14:54:50:03 "I WAS ALWAYS INTO
SNEAKERS, EVEN IN ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL BUT AT THE TIME MY
PARENTS COULDN'T AFFORD TO BUY
ME
EVERY SHOE I WANTED BUT THEY
MADE SURE THE ONES I HAD
LOOKED GOOD AND STAYED FRESH TO
GET ME THROUGH THE SCHOOL YEAR."
14:55:01:27 THOSE SNEAKERS GOT HIM ALL THE WAY TO HUSTON TILLOTSON WHERE
HE EARNED HIS MBA IN 2009.
BY 2018 - HE WALKED INTO THE
HISTORY BOOKS.
14:46:27:27 " WE ARE THE ONLY
BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS ON THE
DOMAIN NORTHSIDE AND WE WERE THE
FIRST BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS
ON EITHER SIDE OF THE DOMAIN
WHICH IS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT
FOR US."
BUT THE ROAD TO RENTING A
STOREFRONT IN ONE OF AUSTIN'S
MOST
MOST POPULAR MALLS WASN'T EASY. 14:45:42:28 " IT'S TIMES WE WILL COME OUT AND SEE A SPACE AND
THEY
SAY OH THIS SPACE IS OCCUPIED
SOMEBODY JUST SIGNED A LEASE ON
IT,
IT, THEN
IT, THEN SIX MONTHS LATER THE SPACE IS STILL EMPTY." 14:46:12:17 "BUT IT WAS ALL PART
OF GOD'S PLAN TO LEAD US HERE TO
THE DOMAIN WHERE WE ARE NOW."
ACROSS AUSTIN THE NUMBER OF
BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES IS ON
THE RISE. BUT STILL RELATIVELY
LOW.
ACCORDING TO THE AUSTIN SMALL
AND MINORITY BUSINESS
RESOURCE DEPARTMENT -
IN 2019 THERE WERE 194 CERTIFIED
BLACK-OWNED
BUSINESSES IN AUSTIN. WHICH IS
UP FROM THE 166 BUSINESSES THE
YEAR BEFORE AND THE 145 IN
2017.
NATS
2017. NATS 14:25:42:03 "THERE ARE A LOT OF
BARRIERS THAT REMAIN FOR
PEOPLE
PEOPLE OF
PEOPLE OF COLOR. THERE IS ALSO A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES. 14:25:47:21
DE JUANA "DJ " LOZADA, OWNS SOUL
POPPED A GOURMET
POPCORN SHOP AT BARTON CREEK
SQUARE MALL.THAT SELLS
SOUL FOOD FLAVORED POPCORN THAT
REMINDS YOU OF
HOME.
14:32:18:16 " HI WELCOME TO SOUL
POPPED, HOW ARE YOU DOING? I AM
DOING GREAT."
SOUL POPPED USES ALL NATURAL
INGREDIENTS TO CREATE THE
FLAVOR OF SOUL FOOD - WITHOUT
THE GUILT.
DJ 9 05:27 "IF GRANDMA DIDN'T
USE IT IN HER KITCHEN. WE ARE
NOT GOING TO USE IT IN OUR
SHOP." 00:08:29
LOZADA STARTED THE COMPANY IN
HER KITCHEN IN 2016 HER SON
WITH ASPERGER'S LOVED EATING
POPCORN AND SHE WANTED TO GIVE
HIM
HIM SOMETHING WITHOUT PRESERVATIVES AND DYE. 14:04:10:20 "SOUL FOOD POPCORN
WAS BORN."
14:05:53:23 " I STARTED THIS
COMPANY WITH $53 IN MY BANK
ACCOUNT."
AND WITH THOSE $53, SHE STARTED
AT THE FARMERS MARKET IN 2016
AND THEN LAST YEAR "THEY POPPED"
IN BARTON CREEK
SQUARE.
NAT - DJ4 :52:23 "WE CAN DO A
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN
CAKE. WE CAN DO GEORGIA PEACH
PIE."
YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE YOUR POPCORN
OR CHOOSE FROM
THEIR SIGNATURE OPTIONS WHICH
ARE ALL VEGETARIAN
14:28:50:08 "WE HAVE OUR VEGAN
FRIED CHICKEN. WE HAVE BANANA
PUDDING. WE HAVE OUR VEGAN
AUSTIN SMOKED BARBEQUE WHICH
TAKES JUST LIKE BRISKET BUT IT'S
MEATLESS.
NATS
MEATLESS. NATS LOZADA SAYS SHE WANTS TO
CONTINUE TO BLAZE A TRAIL FOR
OTHER BLACK BUSINESS OWNERS.
14:06:59:24 "MY MISSION IS TO
MAKE SURE THAT I DEMONSTRATE
EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
SO THAT I AM NO LONGER THE ONLY
BLACK BUSINESS OWNER IN THIS
MALL." 14:07:09:15
LIKE LOZADA GROVEY HOPES HIS
STORY CAN INSPIRE OTHERS TO MAKE
HISTORY.
14:47:16 "HOPEFULLY PEOPLE CAN
LOOK AT US AND BELIEVE
OTHER BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES CAN
COME HERE AND
SUSTAIN THEMSELVES.
14:59:31:40 "TO QUOTE DORA WE
JUST
JUST GOTTA KEEP SWIMMING. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WILL COME THROUGH YOUR PATH AND
OBSTACLES, BUT YOU JUST HAVE TO
KEEP SWIMMING AND MOVING AND
BELIEVING."
IN AUSTIN DARANESHA HERRON."