(Captured in College Park, Georgia, on June 19, 2022. — by Kevin Lowery for Abrams for Georgia)
2022 gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams joined College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom and Aye Tea Elle Elevated Tapas for a celebration for Black small-business owners in the city of College Park, Georgia. The celebration also honored legendary producer Aldrin “DJ Toomp” Davis. During the boutique restaurant’s second annual Juneteenth block party, owners Jovan Dais, Scott Corbin and Don Bratton mobilized the celebration to empower small business owners in the city. The trio have been intentional with their mission of unity within the College Park business community, believing there is strength and success in numbers. The mission of the event resonated with Stacey Abrams, who made a surprise appearance to encourage and offer support to the entrepreneurs participating in the block party.
“I know firsthand the challenges many small business owners face,” Abrams shared with the intimate group of local business owners. She shared candidly with the crowd her personal experiences running a tax business and the hurdles she overcame in her entrepreneurial journey. Abrams also referenced the works she is committed to doing to assist Black small businesses retain the financing needed to achieve the success many owners envision but has consistently been out of their reach. Today, we celebrate the emancipation of Black Americans and honor those who fought for this nation to live up to its founding ideals of liberty and equality for all. May we honor their legacies through action — building a world fueled by justice and steeped in equity,” Abrams said.
Dais believes having Abrams speak directly to the group of entrepreneurs was powerful.
“I’m proud of this community and how we’ve started creating a culture of collaboration and support. We’re thankful for the leadership here in College Park because their support has created fertile soil for business owners here in College Park. This is a historical community with strong roots in Atlanta’s creative community. For Stacey Abrams to sacrifice her Father’s Day to spend time seeding into these business owners meant more to this community than she probably realizes. We were able to honor a local legend in DJ Toomp with another local legend in Abrams. We aren’t going to stop here. We plan to honor a local legend that has contributed to the the culture through the arts and or community every quarter,” Dais said.
For more information on Aye Tea Elle’s upcoming HONORS program, visit www.ayeteaelle.com.
