Black Dollar Days

Lottie Cross has been an important force behind Black Dollar Days.

SEATTLE – As far as Lottie Cross is concerned, there is no Central District in Seattle anymore.

Gentrification has changed the character of the historically African American neighborhood.

"It's phasing out," she said.

But as condos sprout up on street corners and new white, middle class families move in, some say an integral part of the community has been victimized. Black businesses struggle even as new wealth enters their neighborhood.

Cross is part of a nonprofit organization that's working to sustain African American businesses, both in Seattle and throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The Black Dollar Days Task Force provides black businesses with guidance, financial support and most of all – exposure.

It's an important cause, said Robert Jeffrey, who founded the task force. He moved to Seattle in 1986.

"Gentrification has eaten up most of the businesses that were here when I came," he said. "The climate is dismal."

A spokesperson for the city of Seattle says that the city aims to provide affordable housing in areas of development so residents aren't priced out.

"One of the key components of our work in southeast Seattle and in the Central area is to make sure that growth there benefits the businesses and people who currently live there," said Marianne Bichsel.

She pointed to the city's recent work in Rainier Valley, where a new light rail is being constructed.

"We've done a lot to help current businesses stay there," she said. "We've given them loans and assistance so they get through the construction period."

Even so, Central District realtor Paul Bascomb has witnessed changes in the neighborhood first-hand.

A licensed realtor in Seattle for 35 years, he says Central District businesses like his are "surviving, not thriving." He says that as black families and businesses have been pushed farther south, Black Dollar Days has kept them in touch through projects like the African American Business Directory.

The annual publication serves as a Yellow Pages for black businesses as far away as Portland.

"We have lost contact with each other, other than the directory," Bascomb said.

How it started

The Black Dollar Days Task Force was founded in 1988, at a time Bascomb says the African American community in Seattle was coming together to connect and support eachother.

Jeffrey founded the nonprofit on a buy-local concept.

"Money was going outside the community and we weren't creating jobs for our children," said the 60-year-old.

BLACK DOLLAR DAYS

The African American Business Directory.

The nonprofit faced a major set-back in 1994, when a fire gutted its home base - the New Hope Baptist Church in the Central District. It has since been rebuilt.

Jeffrey says the African American Business Directory, which Cross began managing six years ago, has been a "saving grace."

"Everybody can see the need for a directory which lists inner city businesses and inner city people who have gifts and talents," he said.

Cross is currently developing the 17th edition of the directory. She's invested thousands of unpaid hours into promoting the publication and recently left her job with King County Metro Transit to work on it full-time.

"I wanted to showcase these African American businesses people don't know about – so we can grow," she said.

The African American Business Directory

Cross said the directory, now available online, is getting more publicity than ever before.

She has plans to expand it east, and would like more sponsors.

"I've been sitting here getting call after call after calling wanting to get into the directory for next year," she said.

She recently received a phone call from an Atlanta, Ga., woman in search of an African American beautician in Bellevue. The woman had a job interview with Microsoft and wanted to get her hair done.

"So I went out to find one for her and I did – that was neat," she said.

She said it costs about $35,000 to produce 15,000 copies of the directory. Sponsors like the city of Seattle, Sound Transit and Macy's make it possible. In addition, Black Dollar Days raises money during the "Community Walk, Bite and Jazz Festival," each August in the Central District.

If a businesses can't afford to advertise in the directory, Cross often includes them anyway.

"We're about self-help and self-sufficiency," she said. "In order to help people, we need to advertise their businesses for them. The directory helps."

Other ways of helping

Black Dollar Days has other ways to help struggling businesses.

On the first Friday of each month, business owners are invited to come to New Hope Church, where they receive advice on finances and advertising.

Cross said about a dozen business owners attend meetings, including beauticians, restaurant owners and people in real estate.

They learn about the importance of promoting themselves.

"Unfortunately, a lot of small businesses let advertising fall by the wayside," Bascomb said.

Black Dollar Days also sometimes provides financial assistance through its Campaign 5000 Endowment Fund, which has distributed $80,000 in loans, Cross said.

Projects like the directory have helped Samba Ceesay, owner of Rainier Beauty Supply in the Central District. He's seen business improve in recent years. The Business directory has helped customers from as far away as Tacoma and Portland find his shop.

It's a success story Black Dollar Days wants to see more of.

"We failed to create an inner-city businesses structure that would prevent gentrification," Jeffrey said. "We did not fail in generating consciousness about a problem – which is – if not solved is going to have a serious effect on American democracy."

For questions, comments or story ideas, send an e-mail to Katherine Sather at: kmsather@king5.com.