7/14/08
This weekend's Jazz fest
I had a great time hanging out with da banshee! We had a ball together! I really really loved it and can't wait to do another show with her.
That being said, I have to tell you that this weekend sucked imho.
I didn't expect to sell hundreds of dollars worth of stuff, but I did kinda think that I would sell more than I did. Most of the sales I made were from people my mom basically forced to come over and look at and buy my stuff. That was disheartening in and of itself.
Another aspect that kinda stunk was the fact that we were the only ones with handmade stuff in a booth. There were about 20 vendors there, mostly food, and the ones that were selling stuff ... well lets' just say walking past the booths I would have thought I was in Gibralter trade Center. The guy across from us had glass mirrors and statues, next to him were shea butter, essential oils, big glitzy belts and sunglasses. Another booth had purses and belt buckles. So we stuck out like a sore thumb that way.
But the worst part was the blatant racism that went on all weekend.
We were the only non-black merchant vendors there (there was a guy near us selling hot dogs that wasn't black either ... but he does have a shop in inkster). The first day I thought it might have been our location. Since we didn't have a canopy of our own (my mom was gonna borrow one but that deal fell thru at the last minute) they did let us set up under the seating area tent. That was kinda cool, and it protected us from the rain, but people didn't seem to even know we were there. At first we were facing the seats, but later we flipped around. And still nothing.
So Sunday, since the weather was nicer, we moved out from under the tent. Our spot was right near the entrance. Basically you had to walk past us to get thru the fest ... unless you just walked straight into the tent ... and still we weren't getting the traffic.
Now I can understand my stuff not catching the eye. Frankly I overextended myself. I shoulda made just a couple of different kinds of bottlecaps and stuck with them. I have learned. It would have been better to have 20 obama/pistons/tigers caps then 1 or 2 of all the different ones I had. Live and learn. I'll know better for another show.
But banshee's stuff glistened in the sun. It surely should have caught someone's attention. And yet there were people that walked past us like we weren't even there. Pointedly looking right instead of left. Pointedly looking over our heads. One father even scolded his daughter for stopping and looking at our stuff.
I'm just absolutely broken by the whole experience. I've cried every night. I just can't believe people are so cruel and so open about it. And I've experienced this before (had a guy in college who refused to talk to me cuz I was half white ... even tho he chased my friend Olella around like a love sick puppy, even tho she was half white .. but also half black) but never on such a grand scale.
Saturday da banshee and I were talking about how we didn't want to be seen as pandering to the crowd. That's why she didn't make jewelry with reggae colours and I didn't just make all obama and pistons caps.
Turns out we should have. We may not have been any worse off than we already were.
If between the 2 of us we made enough to even cover the fee it cost to have a booth there I'd be surprised. As it is, my mom covered $100 for us which she just lost out completely on.
In the end it wasn't worth the effort to be there. However, it did spark in me that I would LOVE to do the Wyandotte street fair next year, so me and banshee are gonna apply to be in crafters alley next year. Hopefully we'll succeed.
And side note ... I was talking to a friend I have online. We've been talking for about 10 years online and have never met. He asked how my weekend was and I said "crappy" he asked why and I told him that we did a Jazz Fest in a predominately black neighborhood and it didn't go well. His response? "black jazz festival? isn't that like white gangsta rap?"
WHA!?!?!
so yea ... was already in a bad space ... that put me in another even worst space ...
I do have awesome funny stuff to share about the fest, but that's later or tomorrow. Today I'm depressed.
xoxox
That being said, I have to tell you that this weekend sucked imho.
I didn't expect to sell hundreds of dollars worth of stuff, but I did kinda think that I would sell more than I did. Most of the sales I made were from people my mom basically forced to come over and look at and buy my stuff. That was disheartening in and of itself.
Another aspect that kinda stunk was the fact that we were the only ones with handmade stuff in a booth. There were about 20 vendors there, mostly food, and the ones that were selling stuff ... well lets' just say walking past the booths I would have thought I was in Gibralter trade Center. The guy across from us had glass mirrors and statues, next to him were shea butter, essential oils, big glitzy belts and sunglasses. Another booth had purses and belt buckles. So we stuck out like a sore thumb that way.
But the worst part was the blatant racism that went on all weekend.
We were the only non-black merchant vendors there (there was a guy near us selling hot dogs that wasn't black either ... but he does have a shop in inkster). The first day I thought it might have been our location. Since we didn't have a canopy of our own (my mom was gonna borrow one but that deal fell thru at the last minute) they did let us set up under the seating area tent. That was kinda cool, and it protected us from the rain, but people didn't seem to even know we were there. At first we were facing the seats, but later we flipped around. And still nothing.
So Sunday, since the weather was nicer, we moved out from under the tent. Our spot was right near the entrance. Basically you had to walk past us to get thru the fest ... unless you just walked straight into the tent ... and still we weren't getting the traffic.
Now I can understand my stuff not catching the eye. Frankly I overextended myself. I shoulda made just a couple of different kinds of bottlecaps and stuck with them. I have learned. It would have been better to have 20 obama/pistons/tigers caps then 1 or 2 of all the different ones I had. Live and learn. I'll know better for another show.
But banshee's stuff glistened in the sun. It surely should have caught someone's attention. And yet there were people that walked past us like we weren't even there. Pointedly looking right instead of left. Pointedly looking over our heads. One father even scolded his daughter for stopping and looking at our stuff.
I'm just absolutely broken by the whole experience. I've cried every night. I just can't believe people are so cruel and so open about it. And I've experienced this before (had a guy in college who refused to talk to me cuz I was half white ... even tho he chased my friend Olella around like a love sick puppy, even tho she was half white .. but also half black) but never on such a grand scale.
Saturday da banshee and I were talking about how we didn't want to be seen as pandering to the crowd. That's why she didn't make jewelry with reggae colours and I didn't just make all obama and pistons caps.
Turns out we should have. We may not have been any worse off than we already were.
If between the 2 of us we made enough to even cover the fee it cost to have a booth there I'd be surprised. As it is, my mom covered $100 for us which she just lost out completely on.
In the end it wasn't worth the effort to be there. However, it did spark in me that I would LOVE to do the Wyandotte street fair next year, so me and banshee are gonna apply to be in crafters alley next year. Hopefully we'll succeed.
And side note ... I was talking to a friend I have online. We've been talking for about 10 years online and have never met. He asked how my weekend was and I said "crappy" he asked why and I told him that we did a Jazz Fest in a predominately black neighborhood and it didn't go well. His response? "black jazz festival? isn't that like white gangsta rap?"
WHA!?!?!
so yea ... was already in a bad space ... that put me in another even worst space ...
I do have awesome funny stuff to share about the fest, but that's later or tomorrow. Today I'm depressed.
xoxox
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