As part of the celebration of Women’s History Month, a trolley tour celebrates black business owners | Lifestyle

Harriett’s Bookstore Sedentary Trolley Tour covers the business owned by black women during Women’s History Month.

Harriett’s Bookstore in Fishtown has been running a series of Weekend Sister Trolleybus Weekends since early February to further fuel the community by connecting people from all walks of life, especially those who identify as BIPOC.

“In fact, it was a continuation of the sit-in strike we held in October 2020. After we received a series of threatening emails, ”said Jeanine Cook, owner of Harriet’s Bookstore. “Some people don’t know it, and it’s important that it be stated, because then the mission was for us to work so that we could protect and serve each other.”

In March, which is also known as Women’s History Month, the “Trolley Sisterhood Tour” continued to conduct small groups on business and nursing research. The trip included stops at five unique businesses that offered exclusive shopping experiences and a bit of rapprochement.

Cook’s two-hour trolley tour gave rise to broader insights into how Harriett’s Bookstore will plan to further support vulnerable but powerful institutions across Philadelphia.

“We received these threatening letters, and people said, ‘Why don’t you just call the police?’ and we were like, look what happened to Breona Taylor. Look at Fanny Lou Hamer and the story of what has happened many times in our communities when we interact with these groups that are supposed to [there to protect]. It’s not their job, and I don’t expect some outside force to do for us what we can naturally do for ourselves, but that [the trolley tour] grows out of this intention to put us in a position where we protect and serve each other, ”Cook said.

Cook is fighting not only against systemic injustice, but also against the detrimental effects the pandemic has had on businesses owned by blacks.

According to Forbes.comThe House Small Business Committee said that between February and April 2020, black business ownership fell by more than 40%, the biggest drop among any ethnic group.

The Sister Carriage Tour is one of many ways to help small businesses that have suffered from the pandemic survive.

“And that’s just another way we do it,” Cook said. “Traveling around businesses. Showing ourselves as a united front is known to build these relationships. I hope that during the trolleybus tour you met people who seemed interesting to you, and you decided that you want to know them more, ”Cook said.

Stops tours include Harriett’s Bookstore, Frannie Lou’s Porch, Freedom Pharmacies, Marsh & Mane and Yowie. Cook hopes to expand to more businesses in the future.

Participants have about 15 minutes to spend at each location. And on Saturday and Sunday there are usually two trolleybus tours.