A Black-owned business fair isn’t out of the ordinary, right?
It’s Black History Month and businesses owned by Black entrepreneurs are historically underrepresented. A fair sounds like a perfect way to get the word out.
This was the thinking of North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown, who announced the event last weekend. In an interview with KTNV Las Vegas, she said, “We are the largest minority-majority city in the state, and every year we want to do something unique for Black History Month, and this year we decided to have a community event that focuses on Black-owned businesses.”
Along with the opportunity for people to learn about Black-owned businesses in the community, there will be other activities for people to enjoy including a library open house, food trucks, and live entertainment. Sounds like a fun time right?
Except several White people on social media have voiced frustration about the event, claiming that the event is “racist” since it’s “excluding” white business owners.
A post from @libsoftikok reposted a video from Mayor Goynes-Brown on X, and wrote, “BREAKING: The Mayor of @CNLV announces the city will discriminate against white business owners. The city is holding a fair this weekend and only black-owned businesses & vendors are allowed to operate there. This is government-sanctioned and taxpayer-funded racism.”
One person commented under the City of North Las Vegas’ original post about the event and wrote, “This is overtly racist and unconstitutional. Have fun with the lawsuit.”
Another user commented, “Oh, so we are doing racist fairs this month, huh? Pretty sure that violates the Civil Rights Act. Shame on you. I hope someone gets denied a permit on basis of their race so they can sue your city.”
Some tweets bashing the City of North Las Vegas are so ridiculous that it’s hard to believe they are real. I’m not sure these accounts understand that February is Black History Month...a time when we recognize the contributions of Black peope in the United States. Not to mention that Black people have historically not been given the same opportunities as other demographic groups, so we have to go above and beyond to ensure that we are celebrated and noticed.
It’s not racism — it’s simply Black people getting their just due.