Despite shutting down the Minnesota State Fair due to Covid-19 concerns, Minnesota officials are allowing multiple Black business events to be promoted.
While many events such as the MN State Fair and Twin Cities in Motion races have been canceled, Two new events have been announced for August. The events include Reimagine 38th Street and the Black State Fair, both of which are designed to promote Black businesses.
Jacob Frey, the Mayor of Minneapolis, did not respond to a request for comment on the Black Business State Fair.
Merchandise can be purchased to promote the Black State Fair.
Reimagine 38th Street, is a Black business fair/flea market is being put on by The Central Neighborhood, a Minneapolis nonprofit focused on fostering economic development. The event will use a 3rd party for security and require all attendees to wear masks. The Central Neighborhood did not respond to questions about whether Law Enforcement would be at the event or the difficulty of getting permits for the event.
The Black Business Fair was going to be hosted at George Floyd’s memorial in Minneapolis, but the event’s page has us shut down and details are unclear.
Information on its poster says it’s a “Free Event” and “No Violence” is allowed. Many people on social media questioned why the event had apparently been allowed in spite of others being shut down, and have criticized the event for dividing people along racial lines.
Judah Torgerud
Judah Torgerud is a freelance journalist working with Alpha News to keep the people informed and bring the truth to light. Contact him at whqnu@nycunarjfza.pbz.
