What We Do

Black Market Nubian was established in 2017 with a clear goal: to support Black-owned dreams and create opportunities for economic growth within Roxbury’s creative economy. Born out of a need for intentional space, we launched as a marketplace and cultural venue that prioritized the visibility, viability, and vitality of Black entrepreneurs and artists.

Over the years, Black Market evolved into a trusted hub for cultural production and collective empowerment. We curated experiences that bridged generations and disciplines, and provided a safe space for urgent dialogue, joyful expression, and economic exchange. Our programming — including over 400 events — elevated local businesses, independent creatives, and community voices, while drawing thousands of residents and visitors to Nubian Square.

We have played a key role in the socio-economic and cultural development of the Nubian Square — producing public art, district-wide block parties, hosting policy forums, convening thought leaders, and activating underutilized blighted spaces and transforming them into bliss. Our work has always centered the people of Roxbury as assets: providing outlets for their stories, their creativity, their voice, their labor, and their legacy.

Black Market Nubian stands as proof of what’s possible when long-time residents become the change they want to see by investing in a community-led vision that is resourced and rooted in place.

Black Market’s Commitments

  1. Making sure local entrepreneurs thrive and generate wealth within our community,
  2. Supporting Black Businesses from our Pop-up Markets to consulting and (eventually) e-commerce,
  3. Promoting “Conscious Consumerism”: consciously deciding to support small; local; female-Led; black owned,
  4. Gentrifying our own community (reclaiming our spaces!)
  5. Counteracting displacement by creating pathways of income opportunities
  6. Reigniting the creative economy
  7. Seeing the Black dollar turn-over from the consumer to the supplier

Be a part of the solution! When you shop Black Market, you help:

  • increase the standard living in our community
  • decrease unemployment (We hire our own)
  • support communities across the African Diaspora who create goods
  • an entrepreneur leave their job and support themselves independently
  • rent their own retail space
  • families; parents teach their kids about entrepreneurship
  • sustain a tribe of dreamers, makers, visionaries, creatives, artists

Black Buying Power

Black People have over 1.2 trillion dollars in buying power, but only $0.02 of every dollar goes back into Black-Owned businesses. Black Market has sparked a #BUYITBLACK revolution disrupting the spending habits of thousands of people through out New England and beyond!