ROOTED was inspired by my real life. I’m a Black woman from Chicago who grew up in the projects watching talented people constantly get overlooked, underpaid, unsupported, and underestimated. I got tired of seeing our culture celebrated publicly while the people who actually create the culture struggle privately. I created ROOTED because I realized we don’t need to wait for permission, gatekeepers, or opportunities that may never come. We can build our own platform, create our own economic ecosystem, and open doors for each other ourselves.
ROOTED is more than a Juneteenth event to me. It’s a cultural experience designed to celebrate freedom through ownership, creativity, community, and opportunity. It brings together fashion, music, entrepreneurship, Black-owned businesses, artists, and youth development in one space where everybody has the chance to benefit. What makes ROOTED special is that it’s intentionally built around circulation — not just entertainment. Vendors gain customers. Creatives gain exposure. Youth gain mentorship and behind-the-scenes experience. Small businesses gain visibility. Sponsors connect directly with culture and community in an authentic way.
The funds raised for ROOTED will directly support the growth, quality, and impact of the overall experience while helping create real opportunities for Black creatives, entrepreneurs, and youth in Chicago. Funding will help elevate the production and overall guest experience by supporting professional staging, lighting, sound, photography, videography, creative installations, décor, and immersive cultural activations that make ROOTED feel intentional, inspiring, and unforgettable. Funds will also help secure and compensate talented Black creatives and professionals including DJs, performers, hosts, models, photographers, videographers, stylists, makeup artists, designers, production assistants, security, coordinators, and other behind-the-scenes staff who help bring the experience to life. One of ROOTED’s core values is making sure Black talent is not only showcased, but properly paid and valued for their work.
Additional support will go toward creating meaningful VIP experiences, interactive brand activations, community engagement opportunities, media coverage, and high-quality content that continues amplifying participating businesses and creatives long after the event ends. A major portion of the vision also includes the ROOTED Future Creators Initiative, which helps connect underserved Black and Brown youth to mentorship, live production experience, creative industry exposure, networking opportunities, and pathways into entrepreneurship, fashion, music, media, and event production.
ROOTED is bigger than a party or fashion show. It is a platform designed to circulate opportunity, visibility, creativity, collaboration, and economic empowerment back into the community that created the culture in the first place. Every contribution helps us continue building a space where Black creativity is celebrated professionally, community is prioritized intentionally, and future generations can see what’s possible when culture, ownership, and opportunity come together.
ROOTED is more than a Juneteenth event to me. It’s a cultural experience designed to celebrate freedom through ownership, creativity, community, and opportunity. It brings together fashion, music, entrepreneurship, Black-owned businesses, artists, and youth development in one space where everybody has the chance to benefit. What makes ROOTED special is that it’s intentionally built around circulation — not just entertainment. Vendors gain customers. Creatives gain exposure. Youth gain mentorship and behind-the-scenes experience. Small businesses gain visibility. Sponsors connect directly with culture and community in an authentic way.
The funds raised for ROOTED will directly support the growth, quality, and impact of the overall experience while helping create real opportunities for Black creatives, entrepreneurs, and youth in Chicago. Funding will help elevate the production and overall guest experience by supporting professional staging, lighting, sound, photography, videography, creative installations, décor, and immersive cultural activations that make ROOTED feel intentional, inspiring, and unforgettable. Funds will also help secure and compensate talented Black creatives and professionals including DJs, performers, hosts, models, photographers, videographers, stylists, makeup artists, designers, production assistants, security, coordinators, and other behind-the-scenes staff who help bring the experience to life. One of ROOTED’s core values is making sure Black talent is not only showcased, but properly paid and valued for their work.
Additional support will go toward creating meaningful VIP experiences, interactive brand activations, community engagement opportunities, media coverage, and high-quality content that continues amplifying participating businesses and creatives long after the event ends. A major portion of the vision also includes the ROOTED Future Creators Initiative, which helps connect underserved Black and Brown youth to mentorship, live production experience, creative industry exposure, networking opportunities, and pathways into entrepreneurship, fashion, music, media, and event production.
ROOTED is bigger than a party or fashion show. It is a platform designed to circulate opportunity, visibility, creativity, collaboration, and economic empowerment back into the community that created the culture in the first place. Every contribution helps us continue building a space where Black creativity is celebrated professionally, community is prioritized intentionally, and future generations can see what’s possible when culture, ownership, and opportunity come together.