LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Concerned Citizens of Louisville, a community-based group working toward inclusion of the Black community in the NULU district, has made demands of area businesses. One such business, Mayan Cafe, owned by Anne Shadle and Bruce Ucan, has addressed several of these demands, including staffing.
Concerned Citizens of Louisville calls upon businesses to maintain a workforce that is 23% Black. Shadle said Mayan Cafe is working daily to achieve this goal.
"In this moment, we had a position come open in the last couple weeks, so we filled that with a black staff member," she said.
They have also created a relationship with the Louisville Urban League (LUL), so they can widen their network by connecting with the civil rights organization's workforce development branch.
They’ve also expanded the sources from which Mayan Cafe obtains food. The kitchen is now stocked with meats, fruits, and veggies that come from a diverse group of farmers.
Shadle is excited about the change, saying “We purchase the majority of our meats from local farms and so we have reached out a number of different organizations to connect with black-owned farms."
Outside the restaurant, signs showing support for the Black community and justice for Breonna Taylor can be found.
The restaurant has also participated in round tables with Concerned Citizens of Louisville.
“It was excellent, they were very organized. I thought they executed the whole thing very well. It was a good conversation, a lot of people came with ideas," Shadle said.
Concerned Citizens of Louisville declined to go on camera, but did release a statement.
“Because of the positive and productive conversations we have had, we are both hopeful and optimistic that we will be able to continue this dialogue and continue to create space for accountability, transparency, and of course, grow," said the statement.
As a minority, Bruce Ucán understands the struggle and sympathizes, “I think all the community needs help, you know, anybody from any ethnicity needs help, but especially Black American people need help more than anything right now, desperately.”
Shadle says it's been an eye-opening experience.
“I'm really grateful for the action happening exactly the way it did because it made us all pause and pay attention," she said.
Mayan Cafe also works with Black-owned business owners to test their products and use their kitchen for food preparation.