Highline College hosted the fourth annual Umoja Black Business Expo this past Wednesday. From 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Building 8 Mt. Constance was home to a diverse collection of art and culture, from shirts and jewelry to massages and haircuts, all made with love and pride.

30+ vendors participated in this event celebrating Black History Month, coming together to promote their small businesses. This time, they were accompanied by live music provided by Vibe Bingo. 

Umoja Black Scholars is a program at Highline College established in 2016 dedicated to supporting students of color whether it’s financially, academically or even emotionally. They provide resources and organize fun events like movie showings, workshops, and today’s lively market, but it’s so much more than that.

Director of the program Krystal Welch defines the program as a learning community, offering classes and Black curriculums that are otherwise hard to access. “We focus on all things Black history, Black culture, Black experiences,” she said. 

The tradition started in 2021, amidst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Realizing that starting small businesses were turning into an essential creative and financial outlet as the rest of the world was shut down, the Umoja Black Business Expo aspired to highlight these creators. 

The virtual success of their first year inspired them to continue once campus opened up. “Every year we’ve grown a little bit more,” Welch explained, with this year hosting services such as a barber shop, aromatherapy massages, live art, and more.

Among these services is a free fitness class provided by the Trap Lab Fitness Studio, celebrating their third consecutive year as a vendor for the expo. Owned by two Philadelphian sisters, the studio is based in Federal Way and provides a variety of classes to benefit physical and emotional wellbeing such as dancing, kickboxing, meditation and more. “We are trying to bring community together…and feel like they have a place where they can be authentically themselves,” said co-owner Sharde Bullard. More can be found through their website, traplabstudio.com. 

Many handmade products were also sold at the event, some provided by ExpressionsByCC LLC, another long-time vendor selling beads, custom jewelry, pins, and even self-published books. “It feels really good to make money off of things you made, your own intellectual property,” said founder Ma’at CC when asked about her favorite part of owning a small business. “That is the best feeling I’ve ever had.” She directs anyone interested in her business to check out her website for more information. 

The consistent returns of these vendors to the expo was a result of feeling involved and connecting to the community. “Super good vibes. Everyone is super cool,” CC expressed. Bullard held similar views, as participating in these experiences is a great way to attract your target audience. “You can’t just always rely on social media…It’s really good to make sure people can see the face and people behind what’s created,” she stated. 

“I love being able to connect different rocks of life with each other, and being able to highlight these small business owners,” said Welch, expressing her favorite part of organizing the expo each year. 

As for what’s to come, news and highlights of other businesses throughout the year can be found on their Instagram account @highlineumoja.