Soul Work: A Conversation With Blk Mkt Vintage
Brooklyn-born Kiyanna Stewart and Jannah Handy founded BLK MKT Vintage in November 2014. Over the past six years, the two have amassed a cult internet following with their ever-growing collection of Black keepsakes and memorabilia. Their online shop has served as a breath of fresh air in the lily-white world of antique collecting, offering found objects like vintage furniture, literature, vinyl records, clothing, art, housewares and more. The grand opening of their brick-and-mortar this past winter took Bed-Stuy by storm, shoppers coming from far and wide to get their hands on these unique pieces of history. We caught up with Kiyanna & Jay — pre-quarantine — to hear some of the inspiration behind what they call “soul work.”
Tell me a bit about the origins of your partnership.
We actually met years ago at a social justice training at Rutgers University, where we both worked and Kiyanna studied. Kiyanna was finishing up her Master’s degree in Women’s Studies and we were both working in different cultural centers on campus. We realized that we were born and raised in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn — Flatbush/Prospect Lefferts Gardens — and actually grew up a few houses away from one another. We’ve been inseparable since and find new ways to embody the word “partnership” regularly.
How has BLK MKT Vintage evolved throughout the years?
It’s interesting because like many great ideas, this business was developed from a shared hobby of ours, but also a sense of need. We spent our down time scouring vintage shops, flea markets, antique stores and the like. Somewhere along the line, we realized that finding Black cultural ephemera was a challenge. We were both craving a space where we could more readily access vintage objects that looked like us and told our stories — a place where we wouldn’t have to dig for Black literature and (maybe) find one or two. It was this recognition that emboldened us to be the collectors we needed. We needed to start a business and open a shop. We started out at local artisan/flea markets in Brooklyn, Manhattan and New Jersey, then a few pop-up events and festivals. All along, we were craving the ability to curate our own content and have dedicated space. Without the capital to open a brick & mortar at the time, we opened an e-commerce shop that quickly picked up traction. While running the online shop, we continued to pop-up in person and build community, also taking on a few opportunities to do set design/prop rentals for various events. In 2019, while renovating our physical space, we launched the interior design arm of the business and developed a process to offer prop rental and set curation for productions/events. In November 2019, our physical location opened in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn and we’re so excited to see all the incredible, palpable growth that has come from the support, generosity and accountability of our community.
What are your individual roles in the business?
We try to share in most of the work together, but our natural talents/interests do guide the way we split the work. Kiyanna takes on most of the social media/digital curation. Jannah handles most of the in-person sourcing at antique stores, flea markets and thrift shops — as well as the DIY/upcycling work (reupholstery, etc). Our running joke is that Jannah brings home the bacon and Kiyanna cooks it up and serves it!
How do you choose objects… and how do you let them go?
We haven’t quite mastered this process yet. Every item we purchase, we buy because we’re connected to it. We tend to buy things we like, which makes it more challenging to let go! We tend to keep items we’re not sure that we can replace or find another of. We also select items that tell the fullness of Black folks’ stories. We’re always trying to round out our collection and think about “who isn’t included?” or “who might we be leaving out?”
I’m sure you constantly come across artifacts that are historically painful. Take us through the emotional process of scouting, finding and holding objects of this Significance.
We always say that this work is “soul work.” One challenging aspect of our business that comes with telling full/whole Black stories is that we interface with a lot of history that is fraught, painful and difficult. For example, FBI wanted posters for Assata Shakur, dehumanizing representations of Black children as ghouls and goblins, fugitive slave notices, slave yokes, press photos showing police brutality at demonstrations. They’re necessary because they help us tell a full story, but they do make the work hard sometimes. However, we didn’t start this work expecting it to be easy. We’d rather see us and our stories whole.
Your dedication to the community is palpable. Your priority seems to have always been about providing a space for Black folk. Has this been a theme throughout your life? In what ways?
Thank you for this. Both of us grew up with deep notions of pride in ourselves and our communities. This has been a theme throughout both of our lives. Jannah’s attended several PWI’s since she was a young child and those experiences triggered a need to bolster Black spaces. Kiyanna spent lots of time in diverse spaces, dedicated to the arts, then studied Africana Studies at the undergraduate level. That training informs her dedication to a tradition of Black folks and Black history as worth of inquiry, preservation and celebration. At Rutgers, we both worked at cultural centers dedicated to marginalized students, ensuring their success at the university. It’s connected work — building community, centering the Black experience and a ton of learning.
When it’s all said & done, what do you hope your impact is on our community — the culture?
The impact we hope to leave is simple. We want to live lives that center the Black experience and Black people, while encouraging others to do the same. Everyday, we strive to show our community that we value Black people, our narratives and historical contributions. We needed to see Black queer women, dedicating their lives to collecting and curating Black items of the past. Living in those truths will hopefully empower others.
Do you have any business advice for young Entrepreneurs?
One of the biggest lessons in life, love, and entrepreneurship is that there is no linear path. Our journey has been steeped in road blocks, u-turns, and dead ends. Give yourself grace if you have to pause and recalculate your route. It’s your route and you’re not in competition with anyone. Run your race. Also, and this is on the more practical side — You don’t have to wait until the end of the month to pay your bills. BLK MKT Vintage is temporarily closed until further notice due to COVID-19. You can continue to purchase goods through their online shop, and follow them on Instagram.
