On Friday, many people were ditching the big box stores and instead supporting Sycamore & Oak’s Southside Holiday Market in Southeast D.C.
The retail space located on the former’s St. Elizabeth campus features 13 local, Black-owned businesses such as The Museum DC. Co-owner Le’Greg Harrison also is Sycamore & Oak’s experience manager and is encouraging people to keep money in the community this holiday season.
“The more the community comes out and supports, the (more the) dollar circulates back in the community,” Harrison said. “We don’t just take the community’s money when they buy product and run. No, we do toy drives (and) free events here weekly for the community.”
The 23,000-square-foot retail and community complex features a variety of businesses spanning food, fashion, art, beauty and more.
Vene Lagon is the co-owner and manager of Vaya Beauty at Sycamore & Oak. Her daughter, Yarne Glasco, launched the boutique beauty supply store with 90% of their products coming from Black businesses.
“(My daughter’s) vision is to give young Black entrepreneurs a platform to put their products in a store so they can see how their products do in the community, and give them an opportunity to get off the ground,” Lagon said.
Shomari James is the store manager at Paradyce Clothing Company, a place with positive vibes and colorful threads. Inside the store, customers can find denim jackets, hats, shoes, and more.
“What I find most about Sycamore & Oak is it doesn’t really feel like a mall, it’s an incubator space so it’s a lot different, it’s a lot more personal,” said James. “It’s a lot of boutique brands and a wide array of things you can get.”
