LOS ANGELES — A new shop selling only Black-owned products opened its doors in March.

Sisters Kristel Jones and Kendra Settle started Uplift Us Marketplace in Granada Hills to support Black business owners following the death of George Floyd.

“Everything was going on, George Floyd and all the protests and just bringing light to Black Lives Matter,” Jones said. “We also came into consciousness and started trying to shop Black and support small businesses and Black-owned businesses, and we also found difficulty trying to find where they are and who they were.”

So they created a space to bring the vendors and customers together. They have previous experience as small business owners and vendors of their products. 

Items can be bought in-store or purchased online. 

Over 70 vendors sell their items in the shop. It’s a sweet opportunity for small business owner Jalise Johnson of Infused Berries 4 U, who sells strawberry shortcake and peach cobbler cheesecake cups in the store.

She’s always wanted to sell her desserts in a retail space.

“This is a platform for all of us small businesses who aren’t able to jump and run into a store of our own, or we don’t have the connections with people of higher ends to place our items in a store,” Johnson said. “They opened doors for so many of us.”

Now they’re opening the door for anyone to support Black-owned businesses.

“Our goal is to uplift the community,” Jones said. “We all need to come together and support each other.” 

Uplift Us Marketplace is open y from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The store is located at 17555 Chatsworth Street in Granada Hills.