Pop-up market in Montreal mall features Black female entrepreneurs
Posted April 12, 2023 2:15 pm.
Last Updated April 12, 2023 6:46 pm.
A Black, Muslim, female-owned, non-profit market is at Place Versailles in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.
Co-founder Amina Sall believes it’s the first time an association of Black women has opened something in the mall.
“It really matters for us to be represented, to be considered and to also be part of the table of decisions and to be part of the community as anybody else,” said Sall.
The Black Woman Market features items created and sold by Black women.
“We founded the Black Woman Market out of the need of being more represented and being more visible in the business sphere and wanting the whole world to discover all the products that we Black women are making,” said Sall. “Our mission is to organize space and moments that allow Black women to showcase their work.
“So we started by organizing events, and this time we’ve decided to bring the event to the mall so that we can have the traffic of the mall.”
Black Woman Market at Montreal’s Place Versailles. (Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed/CityNews)
The pop-up market has been such a success that it has been extended several times. It’s expected to remain at Place Versailles until the end of April.
“We did it for two weeks,” said Sall. “It has been a successful success, so we’ve decided to expand it.”
Sall says it was important to take what could be considered small businesses and give them the platform to succeed on a bigger scale.
“We believe that our businesses are small, we do it in our basement,” she said. “We have a couple of dollars each month. We don’t see ourselves as businesswomen because we are not used to associating our colour with businesswomen.
“It’s very important for us to try and push harder and create our own story. That’s why we are in the mall.”
Black Woman Market at Montreal’s Place Versailles. (Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed/CityNews)
Mondoukpè Lagnika sells scarves with her brand Ahimiton at the Black Woman Market.
“I don’t just sell scarves, I’m selling culture, I’m selling what I can draw,” said Lagnika.
“And what inspired me is my culture, because I’m from West Africa and we used to wear scarves and we use it on our on our head.”
At the pop-up market, it’s clear for shoppers who made each product – and a story of the business.
“Because we want any young girl to enter here to acknowledge that there are Black businesses, Black women in business,” said Sall. “When we switch on the TV or we open the newspaper, we don’t usually see Black women represented as a woman in business.
“We want to change that story and we want to have a voice to be represented and show everybody, the younger generation and the young girls that we are here and that they are allowed to start their business and that they have some references in the area here.”
The Black Woman Market was created for Black History Month, but with its extension into April, it’s also now coinciding with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
During Ramadan, Muslims around the world fast from the break of dawn until sunset for 30 days so long as they are physically able to and in good health.
“We also do some create some products that are adapted to the Ramadan, that are adapted to our Muslim lifestyles,” said Sall.
