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Black Friday scavenger hunt promotes black-owned businesses
A scavenger hunt in Orlando is helping to celebrate Juneteenth and black-owned businesses.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Celebrations for Juneteenth are already on their way. Friday is "Black Friday" in the City of Orlando where people are celebrating their heritage and black-owned businesses.
A group called Black Friday Orlando is hosting a scavenger hunt around the city that brings hunters to numerous black-owned businesses around the Orlando area. People who stop by on the hunt just need to walk up, head inside and start a conversation.
"They come in and they ask a question," said Bucky Weston, the owner of Bubbalou’s Bodacious Barbeque in Altamonte Springs.
The question and a little conversation is all it takes to check off a stop on your Black Friday scavenger hunt.
"So that you can go out, get to know the owners, get to know the people. Just kind of get to know where they are in your neighborhood," said Natasha Byrd-Gaylon, the co-owner of Naked Bar Soup.
The scavenger hunt features over 60 black-owned businesses throughout Orlando and the surrounding communities, ones who have taken a great amount of pride in the communities they serve.
"All the businesses are important to the city and black-owned businesses are part of the city," said Evette Rahman, the owner of Sister Honey’s Bakery.
"We are here, we are relevant and we are doing things that make a difference in the community," Byrd-Gaylon said.
The day-long hunt also served as an opportunity to celebrate the nation’s newest holiday. An acknowledgment Weston feels was long overdue.
"Amazing. We’re in America in 2021 and it’s just now happening. We need to know about the history. It’s something that should be taught in school," Weston said.
The owners say the hunt also gives them the chance to help educate the community not only about Juneteenth but how to start your own business.