Building Black Pipelines: Black History Month Market Uplifts Local Entrepreneurs and Unity

Back2Besa and FOX13 Seattle are proud to travel several times a year from the Emerald City to the Rose City to uplift Black Excellence and tell better stories. This story demonstrates Back2Besa and FOX 13 Seattle’s commitment to Portland’s Black community by reflecting its beauty with an unparalleled level of care and intention.

Black commerce, culture, and community recently took to The Practice Facility in Tigard, Oregon for the second annual Black History Month Market & Celebration. Organized by Converge Media producer Juma Blaq, the event showcased a living Black history movement in the Pacific Northwest that is focused on celebrating and empowering Portland’s Black community and its surrounding areas.

The festivities were anchored by a historic media moment: the legendary "Dream Team" of hosts—Tra’Renee Chambers, Cool Nutz, and DJ OG ONE—appeared together on the same bill for the first time in their careers. This groundbreaking lineup reinforced the event’s core mission of showcasing unity and Black leadership across generations. Mayor of Tigard Yi-Kang Hu and the Tigard Police Department were also in attendance.

The market served as an essential showcase for Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs, featuring vendors like Stackin Kickz, PlantBoys, Love Our City, Black Joy Oregon, Black Futures Farm, and Day One Tech STE(A)M. This focus on the local Black economy was a homegrown movement to build pipelines and actively challenge the lack of mainstream marketing visibility often faced by Black-owned businesses.

Catch Back2Besa with Besa Gordon on FOX13 Seattle Saturdays at 10:30 p.m., and catch the replay on FOX13+ on Sundays at 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.

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