Justice and Fight for Our Livelihood

Hi, we are Erica and Joseph, Bull City Selfie Museum owners. Unfortunately, our small black-owned business had to close after much personal sacrifice and financial investment due to the capitalistic behavior of a Judge, Contractor, and Broker.

 

We leased space on 9th Street, specifically the Old Couch Building, one of four buildings bombed during the 1968 Martin Luther King, Jr. Riot in Durham, NC.

 

We established this business with the goal of putting people over profits—we invited artists and photographers to display and sell their work at the museum and keep 100% of their profits. In the short time, we were open; we were making plans to work with a vice principal on a free literacy program for students in the summer. We were helping single moms and keeping young teens off of the streets.

 

But none of this is going to happen anymore, and the reason we are asking for financial help with the fight against injustice is that our landlord, former District Attorney and Superior Court Judge Jim Hardin, evicted us from our space. Terminated our lease and is now suing my partner Joseph and me for almost $300,000. So why is he suing us? Based on the lawsuit papers, he wants money.

 

After only three weeks of being opened, he claims that we owe him all of the rent for the rest of the three-year lease term. We spent nearly $250,000 of our own money and now have nothing to show for it. And with Jim Hardin’s lawsuit against us, we are at risk of losing everything we have worked for, including our home and the rest of our savings. We will, and we are going to defend ourselves against Mr. Hardin’s unjust claims. We don’t have any choice.

 

We will use our voice to fight not only for ourselves but also for every small business owner that has been scammed, frauded, and unjustly taken advantage of. Hopefully, we will trigger a change in how small business owners are treated. Thank You!