SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh has announced the launch of an eight-week campaign seeking to “ignite support for and partnership with” Black-owned businesses in the city.
The initiative includes a chance to nominate a Black-owned business in the food, film, and fashion-retail industries that the campaign can feature, and those nominations are due by this Friday, per the Syracuse Ignite Juneteenth website.
The Syracuse Ignite Juneteenth campaign includes digital storytelling and contests featuring businesses in the food, film, and fashion-retail industries.
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The city’s campaign is in partnership with AT&T and the Syracuse Juneteenth committee. The campaign launches ahead of Juneteenth, the June 19th holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the U.S.
AT&T is funding the campaign, which “brings together city government and the Syracuse Juneteenth Committee to engage residents in celebrating Black-owned businesses.” The campaign announcement coincides with a montage of photos on social media from students, area businesses, and community groups pledging to “Ignite Juneteenth” in the weeks leading to the Juneteenth holiday, per the city’s news release.
In 2020, the Syracuse Juneteenth Committee cancelled the Juneteenth parade and festival as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s campaign “will help support the return of a greater community celebration in 2022,” per the campaign’s website.
The campaign, nominating a business
The campaign partners are inviting businesses to participate by nominating a Black-owned business to be featured in the campaign. Nominations should be in one of the campaign categories of food, film, or fashion retail/design. Nominate at bit.ly/syrignitejuneteenth
Businesses can also participate by donating to the campaign via the Syracuse Juneteenth Committee, by partnering with peer Black-owned businesses to create promotional products and services leading up to Juneteenth, by sharing a photo pledging to celebrate and support Juneteenth and Black-owned businesses with the hashtag #SYRIgniteJuneteenth
They can also participate by hosting a virtual Juneteenth program or community clean-up, submitting it to bit.ly/syrignitejuneteenth to be added to the citywide Ignite Juneteenth calendar
The campaign includes two Ignite Juneteenth Storyteller Spotlights for local film and production entrepreneurs, two Ignite Juneteenth Street Eats Spotlights for food entrepreneurs, two Ignite Juneteenth Freedom in Fashion Spotlights for local designers, a mini-film competition with support from Syracuse Film, and an Ignite Juneteenth citywide calendar produced by the City of Syracuse Office of Communications.
Production for the Syracuse Ignite Juneteenth campaign is happening in partnership with Le Moyne College’s ‘Phin Labs. Short for “Phinovation,” ‘Phin Labs is an on-campus hub for hands-on entrepreneurial and experiential learning for students of all majors.
During the campaign, the City of Syracuse Office of Minority affairs will also re-launch its “Grow Your Business” series. It’s a series of virtual webinars designed to help minority-owned businesses improve their services and grow.
Business owners are encouraged to connect with the Office of Minority Affairs to register as a city MWBE and learn about procurement opportunities through city government.
