With stores slowly reopening around the country, it’s tempting to believe that normalcy is just around the bend. That’s hardly the case, however, and perhaps no one knows that better than black small business owners, who have been financially hit the hardest by the coronavirus.
To support these individuals, city locals have been widely sharing listings of Black-owned operations, such as restaurants and coffee shops. Now, a number of prominent musicians are doing their part by playing a virtual event today called “Small Biz Live”.
The online concert is highlighted by Ms. Lauryn Hill, Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, Leon Bridges, Nathaniel Rateliff, and Brandi Carlile. 2 Chainz, Bam Marley, Chicano Batman, and T-Pain are also involved. The entire thing was organized by Superfly, the event company behind festivals like Bonnaroo and Outside Lands.
Proceeds from “Small Biz Live” will be allocated by the Accion Opportunity Fund, but each individual artist on the roster is also performing on behalf of a specific business of their choosing — all Black, minority, and women-owned small businesses. For example, Howard is playing in support of Fanny’s House of Music in Nashville; Bridges for Avoca Coffee in Forth Worth; Rateliff for Mercury Cafe in Denver; and Carlile for Easy Street Records in Seattle.
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“Small Biz Live” is hosted by DJ Jazzy Jeff and it goes down Saturday, June 20th, from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PT. It will be available for streaming on TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Twitch, and other social media platforms.
