Find all things Black-owned in this directory.
Courtney Wade is bringing the community together with The Black Pages, a directory she created for easier access to finding local Black-owned businesses.
According to Daily Journal, Wade was motivated to create the directory following the May 2020 killing of George Floyd.
“The community was in arrest, but they were looking for something and wanted to come together,” she said regarding the incident.
Wade observed the needs of the community and, alongside family members and other activists, she developed a festival as part of Juneteenth to celebrate the Black community. She initially imagined the directory as a way to merge the community with local businesses.
“As you go through the festival, there were so many businesses I didn’t know existed,” she said. “After talking to people in the area, especially the older population, they weren’t aware of that either.”
The Black Pages includes more than 70 local businesses and organizations.
“It started as a piece of paper folded in half,” she said, recognizing the growth the directory has UNDERGONE in the past two-and-a-half years.
“But the idea is for it to become a fully-functional thing,” she said. “So, wherever you go, you can find what you’re looking for.”
A new copy of the directory is published via a local printer around every six months.
Although the primary focus of the directory is Kankakee County, Wade has received involvement from multiple businesses outside the county.
“Overall, my focus and main job — besides my family — is bridging the gaps in the community,” Wade said. “Merging the needs of the community with the resources of the community.”
Wade and her team are working to continue the expansion and growth of the directory this year.
The directory will be available through Facebook and The Black Pages website.
The cost for inclusion is $10, and businesses can reach out via email to submit information for directory inclusion.