When thinking of fashion shows, cities like New York, Miami and Paris usually come to mind. However, Davin Anderson of Vybe Ent has fashion industry eyes focused on Louisville, KY for his unique brand of fashion shows premiered throughout the city. His business model is simple: Employ local entrepreneurs who have proven to have good business practices. It’s a formula that has been widely successful and has elevated his brand, as well as the profiles of the entrepreneurs that he works with. Over the past year, Anderson has built a cult-like following for his fashion shows in the metro Louisville area.  His shows typically feature local models who showcase garments from local fashion designers and distributors. In addition, he also incorporates entertainment from local music artists into his fashion shows – by booking them to perform at his events.

Anderson’s introduction into the fashion world was rather unconventional – by industry standards. The business idea was generated from his tradition of throwing himself annual birthday parties. During an interview on the Speak On It Radio Show with Dre the Gemini, Anderson said:

“My first fashion show was an accident… And I say accident because it was my birthday weekend and I throw a party every year and I was thinking that I have to add something to it… I’ve been doing it for five years straight… I said ‘I’m going to add a fashion show, just to do it’ and it ended up taking off and people started asking when the next one would be.” – Davin Anderson

On June 10th, Vybe Ent held its second fashion show at Hotel Louisville featuring 48 models. The theme for the event was Swim Wear & Lingerie. The showcase featured male and female models who walked the runway in beach and bedroom garments supplied by several Louisville designers and distributors. The event was hosted by Louisville personalities Ravon Churchill and Tiffany Bird. There were also several performances from Louisville entertainers including: Mr. Nova, Junior J, Robin G, Kori Black, Hurra Season & Jamarcus.

Addressing what he considers to be a national crisis, Louisville radio host Shawn Mucker organized the Young Men of Color Expo, to help steer young black males, ages 11-14, away from drugs, crime and the criminal justice system. The expo featured seven black male guest speakers who are either entrepreneurs, educators or run community outreach programs in metro Louisville. In addition, over 20 youth outreach organizations set up informational booths at the expo – providing attendees and their parents with information about their programs. The free event took place on Saturday June 9th at the Parkland Boys & Girls Club in Louisville’s West End. Mucker believes that many poverty stricken black communities are experiencing high rates of crime and violence committed by young black males, due to a lack of positive male role models in those communities.

“It’s no secret that a lot of young black men are being raised in households that are absent of fathers. I grew up in the West End of Louisville and back in the day, if a child was missing a parent, the entire community took part in helping to raise those kids correctly. We don’t have that village mentality these days, so that allows children to slip through the cracks and possibly be enticed by negative influences in the streets. It’s time we stop turning our backs and help save our youth.” – Shawn Mucker

Mucker also believes that many young people become mischievous as a result of boredom. In many impoverished communities, parents often can’t afford to send their kids to after school programs or expensive private organizations. Instead, many youth roam the streets aimlessly, in search of a cure for their boredom. Unfortunately those cures aren’t always positive. The Parkland Boys & Girls Club, located at 32nd & Greenwood, provides activities for young people in the community but limited resources are often a huge hurdle to overcome. Director Angela Masden says that the facility operates on donations and volunteers, so there’s always a need for people like Mucker who want to bring programs to the center, that will benefit young people.

“Many community programs have been eliminated and a lot of these boys are being raised in single parent homes. I want to pair them with positive mentors and organizations, so they don’t seek guidance from the streets.” – Shawn Mucker

When it comes to young African-Americans – the numbers are alarming. According to the NAACP, as of 2014, African-American children represent 32% of children who are arrested nationwide – despite being only 13% of the population. Even more catastrophic is a Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, published in the journal Pediatrics, which cites a study revealing that between 2002-2014, black children were murdered by guns at 10 times the rate of white children. Nearly 50 young men attended the expo and received a vast amount of information, as well as entertainment and prizes. Mucker and the Parkland Boys & Girls Club are partnering again on Sept 23, 2018, to hold a similar event for young women.   Host of the Event: Brad Harrison – CEO of UrbanMaxx Media & on-air personality at 106.5FM Event Coordinator: Neecie Miles

Pertaining to youth track & field, it’s extremely difficult to gain national notoriety when you hail from a state [Kentucky] known more for horse racing than human racing. That difficulty further increases when your particular team is all-female. Most track & field teams are co-ed, which allows support and recognition from multiple fanbases. Not to mention that being a co-ed team, potentially increases the odds of a member qualifying for Jr. Olympics. Despite facing a myriad of obstacles – the Kentucky Fillies have leaped every hurdle and have managed to send multiple members to the Jr. Olympics, every year since the Fillies were established in 2011. Being an all-female unit, the Fillies proudly represent their pink colored uniforms at every meet, which often stands out amongst other competitors on the track. When attending meets, Coach T has one simple philosophy for her team and spectators – “Follow the Pink.” The Fillies are based out of Louisville, KY and compete in the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) and USATF (USA Track & Field) leagues. The organization is geographically located in Region 6, which represents athletes from KY, IN, OH, TN, & IL. “Coach T” (Tamika Townsend) has mastered the art of doing more with less. The Fillies are a grassroots team that don’t have all the bells & whistles of teams supported by large corporate sponsorships. Their funding primarily comes from donations and fundraising. Adapting to operating on an extremely tight budget, the girls often travel to track meets across the country by carpools driven by “Coach T”, her assistants and parents. The Fillies operate like a close-knit family and Coach T. is not just a track & field instructor to these young ladies – she’s also a mentor and a friend. One of the standout athletes on team Fillies is 17 year-old Kaleb McDonald. She’s competed in the Junior Olympics over multiple years and in 2018 alone, she’s won gold medals in the 100, 200 & 400 meter dashes in State Class 3A.

“I’m now 17 and have been with this team since I started running track at around 11 or 12 years-old. I love our coach… She actually has a relationship with us. She’s not just coaching you but she’s coaching you to be a better person as well as a better athlete.” – Kaleb McDonald

On May 27, Coach T. took her fundraising initiatives to the next level by allowing the Fillies to host a track meet for the first time in the organization’s seven year history. The meet took place at Male High School in Louisville and competitors traveled from all over the state of Kentucky and Indiana to take advantage of the opportunity to register qualifying times. Athletes would compete against each other in events such as the hurdles, long jump, 100, 200, 400 & 800 meter races.

“This is our first Kentucky Fillies Track & Field Invitational Youth Meet in Louisville, KY. We’ve had our team for seven summers and this is our first time hosting so we are super excited. We have six different teams who have come out to compete from all over the region but we also have a lot of individual entries also, so hopefully this will set the tone for next year – to have a bigger and better meet.” – Tamika Townsend

Townsend stresses that the goal of the local meets are for athletes to qualify for national meets, such as the USATF Junior Olympic Games, the New Balance Nationals and the AAU Junior Olympic Games. Team Beastmode of Hardin County, KY was one of the six clubs that made the trip to Louisville to compete. As a result, 11 year-old Kasym Bolinger captured gold medals in the 400 and 800 meter races.

“I ran the 800 meter and the 400 meter dash. It’s a half mile race, which is twice around this track. You do get tired after the first lap but at basically anywhere, you pick a spot, and kinda glide down. That’s when I start to think about something pleasant like my favorite food or something like that – but it has to be healthy. – (right) Kasym Bolinger of Fort Knox KY …(left)Sonny Collins – Assistant Coach and Co-founder of Team Beastmode

Also as an individual entry, 15 year-old Kemari Robinson of Indianapolis secured gold medals in the 100 and 200 meter races.

“I ran the 100 & 200… I was going to do the long jump but I just didn’t do it today. I’ve been involved in track & field since last year. I feel like it makes me better in other sports.” – Kemari Robinson

To enroll, become a sponsor or for more information about the Kentucky Fillies – please access their website at https://www.kyfillies.com/ or email Tamika Townsend at kyfilliestc@gmail.com  

Best known for his 2007, smash hit “Bed“, R&B crooner J. Holiday is revered by many for being one of the few modern artists who creates traditional, soulful R&B music. His sultry seductive voice, combined with similar production tracks, pushed Bed to number 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B & Hip-Hop Songs for five weeks in a row and it also peaked at number 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Rolling Stone magazine would later rank Bed at number 70 on its 100 Best Songs of 2007 list. Holiday would release three more albums over the next seven years, with the latest entitled Guilty Conscious on his own label “Holiday Music Group” in 2014. Following that release, Holiday would focus on touring over the next four years. Fast Forward to 2018, and Louisville’s annual week-long Kentucky Derby festivities centered around its usual multitude of celebrity hosted parties and events. Holiday would headline a Stevie Wonder Tribute concert that took place at Louisville Central Community Center (LCCC) on May 4, 2018. From 10am-2pm.   The event’s brainchild, Erica Bledsaw, who serves as LCCC’s Coordinator of Fine Arts, discovered that R&B legend Stevie Wonder would be in town performing at the Trifecta Gala on May 5 – so she decided to honor the musical legend with a musical concert called the “Oaks Day Brunch”, themed after Wonder’s most prolific album: Songs in the Key of Life.

“Our Inaugural Derby event was a fundraiser supporting the Youth Repertory Theater Troupe of Louisville of Louisville Central Community Center. We wanted to pay homage to Legend Stevie Wonder and honor him in song. We plan to keep the same format in years to come and hopefully it turns in to a premier Derby event. Kevin Fields our CEO of LCCC had a vision and we executed. Under his leadership, LCCC will be a place for regular entertainment, food and event space. We’d like to thank Sherlene Shanklin and James McCauley for there partnership in making this event come to life.” –  Erica Denise

Bledsaw and LCCC partnered with Sherlene Shanklon and JiggaMcc ENT to provide guests with an elegant brunch, catered with a full course meal of southern favorites such as biscuits & gravy, eggs, bacon, ham, fried chicken and much more. Upon arrival, guests were free to browse the cafeteria style food line in search of what menu item best suited their taste buds. Immediately following brunch, the concert began. All artists would perform songs recorded by Stevie Wonder. Louisville artists Shane Antonio, Sheryl Rouse, and Reggie would open the show with solo performances. Following those acts, the Youth Repertory Theater Troupe of Louisville took the stage and nearly brought the crowd to tears with their angelic voices. Closing out the concert was J. Holiday. The “Put You To Bed” crooner showcased his strong vocal range, while belting out Ribbon in the Sky and other Stevie Wonder classics. For more information about events at LCCC or possible venue rentals – contact Louisville Central Community Center @1300 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd. Louisville, KY 40203 Phone: (502) 583-8821

Louisville, KY has always been one of the music industries best kept secret. The small town on the banks of the Ohio River has produced countless national recording artists such as Playa, Static Major, Nappy Roots, Nicole Scherzinger and Bryson Tiller – to name a few. However, many of those artists, with the exception of Tiller, peaked in the 90s and early 2000s – leaving the city with a void that many locals want to see filled. Louisville is like any other major cities across America when it comes to its local music scene. There seems to be tons of talent but for reasons unknown – the music just isn’t connecting with fans outside of the city. That is until now. Up and coming Louisville rapper Bblasian seems to have enough momentum on his side to break down those regional barriers and become a nationally recognized artist. The charming kid of Korean and African-American descent is changing the way the world views Louisville hip-hop.

“I’m actually Korean and Black but people don’t see it – they think I’m light-skinned but I’m actually mixed with several different heritages like Korean, Black, Indian and German. My friends were trying to make up a nickname for me and since I’m Black and Asian, they came up with Bblasian and it just stuck with me.” – Bblasian

17 year-old Bblasian has only been rapping for a little over a year and wasn’t taking a career in hip-hop very seriously. He was more interested in enjoying being a kid, like most people his age – but on Christmas day 2017, he received a gift that no other gift under the tree could match. While most people were spending the day ripping through wrapping paper, sipping on eggnog and relaxing with family – Bblasian uploaded his newly recorded song Change to his SoundCloud account and his life has never been the same since.

“When it first popped off, I was surprised at how my SoundCloud numbers were doing. Change jumped to like 100,000 views in a month and that really shocked a lot of people – and then I had 200,000 views in two months. It was surprising, coming from the city [Louisville] because other than Byson Tiller, nobody really does those kind of numbers.” – Bblasian

To date, Change has climbed to roughly 350,000 SoundCloud views and 170,000 YouTube views, without any promotion or marketing dollars. Louisville music producer Jon Woo, who works closely with Bblasian says that understanding social media has helped the young rapper spread his music outside the barriers of Louisville.

“He [Bblasian] understands and has mastered how to brand himself through Instagram. He’s built a fanbase by popularizing himself on social media and then leading his followers to his music on SoundCloud and Youtube Accounts. This kid gets what building a brand is all about.” – Jon Woo

Growing up in Louisville hasn’t always been easy for Bblasian. Like many youth, he lost his way in life for a while and as a result – experienced a few brushes with the law. He is currently locked away at a Kentucky juvenile facility and is scheduled to be released on September 6, 2018. Ironically, he recorded Change as an apology record to his mother, prior to being incarcerated, for the pain that he’s caused her while trying to find his place as a man – in this often face-paced world. Throughout the record Bblasian showcases his gift to both sing and rap over a radio-friendly uptempo beat. The lyrics of the melodic hook read as an explanation and revelation to his mother about how his misdeeds have led to his incarceration as well as put enormous stress on the entire family. They read:

‘”What’s a true thief in the night was a blessing/ They set me down the next day with a sentence/ Ma I feel the pain in your mind from the stressin’/ And the tears in your eyes is a weapon/ I’m losing your trust/ I put you through more than enough/ And I know that you’re tired of my bluffs/ Am I delusional?”

Bblasian feels that he can become the next artist from Louisville to put the city on his back and share the culture of Derby City with the rest of the world. He believes that the key to his success is that he puts his heart in his music and many can relate to his experiences.

“I put my heart into my music and that’s why I feel it’s relatable to so many people because I’ve been through so much and I know that everybody goes through something… But that emotional barrier that everybody feels, when they feel down at times – I just like to uplift you and that’s just me. It’s the way I can connect with you through my music.” – Bblasian

Bblasian and Woo have said that major record labels have shown serious interest in signing the talented 17 year-old but they are remaining tight-lipped about the communications at this moment.

Hip-Hop is more than a music genre – it’s a culture. That culture which began in the Bronx during the late 1970s – and was once thought to be just a passing phase represented by a microphone and a gold rope necklace – has now blossomed to represent the biggest music genre in the United States in 2017. According to Nielsen Music’s 2017 year-end report, eight of the Top 10 selling albums came from the genre of hip-hop or hip-hop infused R&B. This is the first time in the nearly 50 year history of the culture – that hip-hop has owned the number one spot. Describing hip-hop as a culture requires understanding that the genre embodies more than just rap music. It’s a way of life. It’s the way fans dress, talk, walk, dance and their attitudes. To sum it up in modern terminology – It’s their SWAG! However; although the type of SWAG may change from generation to generation – hip-hop will always be rooted in its Founding 4 Elements: Djing, B-Boying (MCing), Break Dancing and Graffiti Art. Hip-Hop legends & pioneers Afrika Bambaataa and Zulu Nation are credited with being the first to speak on these Founding 4 Elements. In an effort to commemorate the founding 4 elements of hip-hop, Atlanta natives Dubelyoo and Jabari Graham created the concept of Arts-Beats + Lyrics out of their deep love and admiration of modern art and the hip-hop culture.

“THE EVENT IS A TRAVELING URBAN ART EXHIBITION THAT FEATURES HIP-HOP ART- URBAN ART – GRAFFITI – STREET ART MURALS AND MIXES IT WITH LIVE PERFORMANCES AND DJS.” – DUBELYOO (ARTIST & CURATOR OF ARTS-BEATS & LYRICS)

Dubelyoo and Graham decided to create the artistic musical collaboration when Graham was abruptly laid-off from his marketing position with a circus group. Instead of wallowing in misery – the pair got together and decided that they both were in search of new careers. Graham formed a collaboration comprised of a group of local artists and Djs from the Atlanta area and started putting on shows. Dubelyoo quickly realized the growth potential and gave the venture a boost by booking future shows at local museums. Eleven years later – Art-Beats + Lyrics has expanded and is currently touring across the country, hosting shows that feature established urban artists as well as major label rappers & Djs. Art, Beats + Lyrics hosted its first event in Louisville in 2016, during the Kentucky Derby weekend. With hundreds of thousands of people visiting the Louisville area for the Kentucky Derby festivals, there are always plenty of celebrity and non-celebrity parties. However, Art, Beats + Lyrics (sponsored by Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey) established itself as one of the premier Derby weekend parties during its first hosting in Louisville. One of the attracting amenities is that the event is totally free and partygoers are supplied with one free drink ticket to purchase one the Jack Daniel’s Honey spirits products, available at the many bars scattered throughout the venue. The first two years of AB+L Louisville, were held at the Ice House and featured rappers Twista and Mannie Fresh. However, the event became so large that it quickly outgrew the venue. Seeking larger space, Art, Beats + Lyrics held its third Derby Weekend event at Louisville’s largest concert arena – the KFC YUM! Center. The event began at 7pm and partygoers formed a long line outside the arena as early as 5pm. The larger venue appeared to allow the artwork displays to be easier to access than previous years and also provided more walking space. A guest DJ spinned hip-hop & R&B hits from the 80s, 90s & 2000s, while attendees sipped liquor, danced and browsed the art exhibits. The featured musical artist this year was Grammy nominated hip-hop artist Rapsody, who is revered to the culture as a “Traditional” hip-hop artist, who remains grounded within the Founding 4 Elements of hip-hop.

After coming to the realization that African-American culture often emphasizes attending college to work for others, as opposed to becoming entrepreneurs – Tiandra Robinson, CEO of T. Marie Consulting, decided to shake Louisville’s black community up for a day. Robinson, partnered with Tonya Walker, owner of the Avenue E Art Gallery and the pair presented Tiny Tycoons & Mini Moguls on Sunday, March 25, from 1pm-4pm at Avenue E.  The vendor event featured twelve youth entrepreneurs, ages 4-14, who sold items such as homemade pastries, cookies, handmade pillows, lemonade and arts & crafts. Most of the items ranged from $1.00- $10.00. Musical entertainment was provided by 10 year-old D.J Fabulous.

Avenue E provided the use of their venue, free of charge, while Robinson handled all the event planning – therefore the youth were not required to pay any vendor fees. Any profit earned, was theirs to keep – to hopefully reinvest into their businesses. T. Marie Consulting worked diligently for months locating local sponsors to provide customized t-shirts, tablecloths and banners for the entrepreneurs, to make their experience as professional as possible, with limited out-of-pocket costs. Chase Ur Dreamz LLC & Echilann Images provided all the promotional items for the event – free of cost. Robinson said the goal of Tiny Tycoons & Mini Moguls is to provide Louisville’s youth with an entrepreneurial experience at an early age, in hopes of inspiring them to become future business owners. Robinson said that two of the entrepreneurs nearly earned $400 in sales at the event.

“I put on the Tiny Tycoons & Mini Moguls event because I felt like it is important for us to teach our children how to create their own generational wealth and learn how to just basically be their own boss.” – Tiandra Robinson

Customers arrived as early as 12:45pm and the crowd steadily flowed in and out throughout the entire three hours of the event. Making the experience more interesting is the fact that Avenue E is Louisville’s only female black-owned art gallery – and its location was actually instrumental in improving race relations in Louisville during the Jim Crow era. Walker says that the building that is now Avenue E, was home to a high-end women’s clothing store called Bick’s Department Store, during the 1960s. Walker further states that Bick’s was one of the first department stores in Louisville to allow black customers to use their dressing rooms. Historically, black customers were allowed to purchase clothing but were not allowed to use the dressing rooms – that luxury was reserved only for white customers.

“The art gallery opened in October 2017, and we have been steadily gaining business and we’re looking to grow in the future. This is a black-owned gallery, the resident artist is Charles Rice and my partner in business is Everett Morton. We enjoy investing back into the community and we look forward to many years of service here.” – Tonya Walker

Avenue E Art Gallery is located at 536 S 4th St, Louisville, KY 40202 Hours of operation: Mon & Tues – By appointment only Wed & Thurs – Noon – 5pm Fri – Noon – 5pm Sat – Noon – 5pm Sun – Closed Available for events & private parties. Venue holds a capacity of 125 people.

For over a decade Louisville, KY has been home to a bubbling underground black comedy scene. Comedy is an art that is often cultural. It has its mainstream acts that attract diverse audiences but underground comedy typically caters to a particular demographic. In the African-American community, comedy is an art-form taken very seriously. It’s a necessity that black comedians have tough skin because black audiences are known to critically judging each joke. An animated witty comedian can bring the house down with laughter, but at any point, the wrong punchline may bring a roar of boos. Identifying their audience is crucial for a comedian, especially those who are just starting out. Having a “Comedy Home” in a particular city always helps local comedians develop their skills, while becoming comfortable performing in front of crowds. Louisville has always had a wide variety of black comedians – however, they’ve never had a true comedy home. That is until now. Frank Niddy’s Music & Comedy Club opened its doors for the first time, this past Friday night, March 2nd, at 7pm, to a sold out crowd.

“It was My mom’s dream to open up a comedy club and we wanted to run a family business… We always wanted to be our own boss and have a little family thing so that we can leave on the legacy for our kids. We also wanted to provide a platform for the community where we grew up at and put on some talented people.” – Frank Niddy

To kick off the Grand Opening event, Comedian Meech Dog would host a comedy special featuring popular Louisville comedians Jason “Too Funny” English & Rico Lovelace. Meech Dog is a seasoned comic who has entertained crowds at comedy clubs all across the nation.

“I am the official host for the Friday night comedy, every Friday night at Frank Niddy’s Music & Comedy Club. I’ll be here every Friday bringing comedians from all over the place. My comedy career goes way back but I’m still grinding and still humble. I’m booked in seven different rooms right now so I’m a blessed.” – Meech Dog

After Meech Dog warmed up the crowd, Rico Lovelace took the stage a little after 8pm. Living up to his moniker, “The Next Little Big Thang”, the 5’5 comedian entertained the crowd with his hilarious storytelling – based on real life experiences. Lovelace gives off the impression that he is most comfortable when on stage. His energetic vibe and deep baritone voice seemed to resonate extremely well with the crowd. So well, that the crowd appeared to be feeding off his energy and actually began verbally responding back to him, at times. Lovelace is a seasoned comic as well who is patiently awaiting his big-break. For years he has been a proud representative of Louisville’s largest black-owned comedy/entertainment company Streatway Entertainment. Throughout his career he has performed in comedy clubs all across the United States, shared the stage with Reginald Ballard (‘Bruh Man’ from the Martin show), starred in the comedy movie “The Store” and is currently filming a comedy movie entitled “The Maintenance Man.” Jason English took the stage around 9:30pm. He is a local crowd favorite based on the worldwide success of his “Too Funny TV” series that he’s hosted on Facebook Live over the past two years. English has a natural gift for improvisation and masterfully portraying different characters. Too Funny TV birthed his alter ego “Kenny Kenny Kenny” (a 70’s era pimp), who hilariously wears a permed wig while randomly prank calling unsuspecting people and businesses across the nation. English’s improv skills are so convincing that callers often stay on the line with him for nearly an hour, answering questions or searching for items that he’s claimed he lost. One of his most memorable pranks was a call to a dine-in restaurant, in which he convinced the manager that he was a veteran who left his prosthetic leg in a booth, after dining there. When the manager asked how he was able to walk away from the restaurant without his leg, English replied:

“I have two legs… A walking leg and a sitting leg. When I finished my meal, I put my walking leg back on but accidentally left my sitting leg behind. It should be easy to spot because I’m black but my leg is white.” – Jason English

Following Rico Lovelace’s performance, English continued to keep the crowd at Frank Niddy’s laughing emphatically. He is a showman who loves to interact with the crowd, which often results in someone in the front row getting joked on. It’s all in good fun and the audience appeared to love every moment of it. All-in-all the sold-out house seemed to be very pleased with opening night at Frank Niddy’s. Once the comedy show was over, the party didn’t stop. The club converted to a Bar & Grill format and Paula And The Live Band hit the stage performing jazz, Blues and R&B music until 2am. Frank Niddy’s Music & Comedy Club is located at 5044 Poplar Level Road. Hours of operation are Wed-Sun 5pm-2am for the first few weeks. The venue plans to begin serving food by the middle of March, in which it will then beginning opening at 8am.

On Friday March 9, 2018, More Education & Enrichment Training, presents the ‘Knowledge Fest 2018’ from 6pm – 9pm EST at Louisville Glassworks (815 West Market Street, 40212). Guest speakers include Taj Tarik Bey, Abdullah Bey, Sabir Bey & hip-hop Pioneer KRS-One. In addition to the powerful lectures from the guest speakers, the event will also feature vendors, spoken word performances and hip-hop artists. Tickets can be purchased for $28.45 on eventbrite. Immediately following the lectures, KRS-One will be performing at Diamonds Concert Hall (600 Barret Ave, 40204) as a part of his ‘The World Is Mind Tour.’ Doors open at 9pm. Admission is $35 in advance/ $50 at the door. This cost is for the concert only!! Louisville’s own ‘Father Jah’ will be hosting. Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketweb.com or www.meetinginc.org. Package Deals for admission to the Knowledge Fest & concert can also be purchased for $45 at  eventbrite. Additionally, Knowledge Fest Weekend continues the following day, March 10th, with a FREE lecture series featuring Taj Tarik Bey, Abdullah Bey, Sabir Bey at the Louisville Urban League (1535 W. Broadway, 40203, from 11:30pm – 3:30pm

In the words of Reverend Dr. Kevin Cosby, of Louisville’s St. Stephen Church, “West Louisville Needs Some Wins.” His 2016, comment was in relation to the lack of economic development in West Louisville since desegregation and “White Flight” became a reality in the mid-1960s. Since that time West Louisville has remained predominately black, economically challenged and in 2011, was home to one of the nation’s poorest zip codes. According to Phillip M. Bailey of the Courier Journal – Louisville Urban League president and CEO, Sadiqa Reynolds, released a new 172 page report this past Friday, detailing the dire straits of residents living in West Louisville. In that report she specifically addresses the “aspiration crushing” pressures of being black in Louisville due to political policies, resulting in keeping blacks from obtaining wealth. To make matters worse, West Louisville lacks the adequate amount of retail establishments necessary to keep revenue circulating within its own community. In 2016, a four-month study conducted by OneWest revealed that an estimated $217 million in retail spending leaves West Louisville annually and is spent in other communities. After witnessing several major development proposals in the area fail to come to fruition, like the 18th Street Wal-Mart deal, some local residents are taking matters into their own hands by opening small businesses themselves. The latest West Louisville business to open is Dn Surprise Florist located at 2001 West Broadway Suite 2. Owners Davin Anderson and his mother Sherrell Anderson have over 20 years experience as florists. Sherrell previously owned a flower shop in the Gene Snyder Federal Building for 10 years but closed it down about 7 years ago, due to rising lease rates at that location. Davin encouraged his mother to get back into the business, so the mother and son team decided to take their talents to West Louisville. On Saturday, February 10th, Dn Surprise Florist celebrated their official Grand Opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, who showed his support by buying an arrangement of flowers.

“We will be one of the best flower shops in the city of Louisville. I can say that because we work with people. Say for instance, you see something online and you don’t know how they got it made and the price is $125 – we will work with your price. Just say listen, ‘I only got $80, what can you make with this?’ And we’ll work with you. It’s all about helping the community… That’s why we’re here. That’s why we wanted to relocate and get into this area – for that reason.” – Davin Anderson

Dn Surprise Florist featured a half-off sale during the Grand Opening and supplied food and refreshments for customers. Their services include floral arrangements, wedding invitations, gift baskets, fruit baskets and much more.

“My aunt introduced me to the florist business years ago. She wanted me to help her out driving and then she started teaching me a few things about the business and I started to like it. After that I started taking classes… so I decided to start working at the federal building and make balloons and little small bouquets in the hallway. Well they kept selling out the same day. So, there was a little supply store in that building that wanted to sell my items but I thought, ‘If they can do it, then I might as well do it.’ That’s when I opened my Flower Shop.” – Sherrell Anderson.

The hours of operation are Mon – Fri 10am-5pm, Sat – call-in only, Sun – closed websites: dnsurpriseflorist.com or dandnsurpriseflorist.com