Black Business Expo brings Black voices to the forefront

The Office of Intercultural Engagement and Inclusion acts as the organizing body for the annual Black Business Expo. // Camryn Bowden / The Hofstra Chronicle.

A photographer who highlights Black models, a jeweler who expresses herself in her art to assist with college and a hair care service focused on Black hair were only a few of the Black-owned student businesses showcased at this year’s Black Business Expo.

The annual expo returned to campus this year on Feb. 29. Black student entrepreneurs highlighted their business ventures in the Student Center Atrium.

The exposition hosted four student-owned businesses and three different industries. Two of the businesses focused on Black hair care and hair treatment. Another business sold jewelry, and the last was a photography service.

“What I’m expecting is just more exposure for the students,” said Hugo Morales, lead organizer of the event. Morales, the associate director of Intercultural Engagement and Inclusion, said that as the organizer, he wanted to “create a platform for [Black students] to be able to showcase their products, services, et cetera, to all the students here on campus.”

This year, the Expo was hosted in the atrium of the student center, placing the event in one of the busiest areas on campus. According to Morales, this was an intentional move to promote further awareness of Hofstra’s Black business owners.

“Marginalized students and marginalized communities need to have some representation,” Morales said. “The purpose of this event is to showcase that we have students that, in this community, are doing more things than just being students.”

“It also encourages other people who might be quieter about their own personal businesses, just so that they can feel comfortable,” said Renelle Wilson, a sophomore televison production and studies major and another one of the business owners. Wilson pointed out that this event could positively affect students who might be too scared to put their businesses in the limelight.

“For me, sometimes, it can feel kind of uncomfortable to be in a space where you know you’re the minority, so to put yourself out there, you might feel like people might not receive you in the way you want to be received,” Wilson said.

Wilson is the owner of Shots by RW, a photography service that focuses on highlighting Black models. “One thing that I specifically do is use a lot of Black models in my shoots, to just rearrange how we are seen and portrayed by the media.”

Dejanae Hunter, a sophomore psychology major, said the Expo would do wonders for her brand. “This event is the perfect way to bring exposure to the students who are working hard at their passions and making it known to others on campus.”

She also expressed how thankful she was for the Expo occurring in the first place. “I’m really appreciative of this opportunity because I feel like I’ve been needing new ways to market my business other than just my Instagram page,” Hunter said.

Rachel Lande, a junior criminology and sociology major, owns a local Black hair care service specializing in locs. According to Lande, the event helped her feel visible on campus. “I think it’s very important, as being a minority community within Hofstra, to have our voices and businesses showcased,” Lande said.

“Support local businesses, particularly Black-owned businesses […] not because it’s Black History Month, because if you’re part of a certain community, you’re that 365 days a year,” Morales said. “If you invest in your own community, then your community will grow.”