In the Black works to keep Fillmore's Black entrepreneurship alive
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A group of Black entrepreneurs conceived the idea to create a Black-led marketplace during the pandemic. Photo: Nadia Lopez/Axios
About three years since first opening in the Fillmore, Black-owned marketplace In the Black is still standing and committed to its mission — but keeping the doors open has come with its challenges, staff say.
Why it matters: The storefront sits in what was once the bustling heart of Black San Francisco before redevelopment in the 1960s displaced thousands of families and businesses.
How it works: In the Black launched in 2023 with the goal to lower the barriers for Black entrepreneurs and rebuild economic life through a shared retail space. The store's 20 or so vendors can rent shelves and floor space instead of taking on the cost of a storefront alone.
- At first, sellers paid a flat monthly rate. Now, the store takes a 30% commission on sales, and vendors keep 70%, with contracts running for about six months. The idea is to lower upfront risk and give businesses more room to grow, store manager Charleszetta Baldwin told Axios.
Between the lines: Even with the new model, low foot traffic remains a problem.
- To bring more people in, In the Black has leaned into hosting monthly events, business workshops, live musical performances and artist showcases. The goal is to make the storefront feel like a "third space," part retail shop and cultural hub.
- "It's beyond just a marketplace," Baldwin said. "We want this to be a space where people gather."
Yes, but: While the events draw much success, awareness overall remains a hurdle. Store clerks often still hear neighbors say they didn't know it existed. Many new shoppers discovered the store through social media, but consistent local support has been harder to build, said fellow store manager Brianaca Sayles.
- "It needs visibility. It needs support from the community," she told Axios.
The big picture: As San Francisco grows more expensive and less diverse, In the Black continues to face displacement and rising costs, pressures that have also homogenized other parts of the city.
- In a city with a shrinking Black population, cultural preservation alone doesn't pay the rent — the storefront must survive in a market pricing out its community, Sayles said.
- "The store right now, it needs some help. It needs the bigger conversation on how we can support our Black-owned stores," Sayles added. "What does San Francisco value, and does that include the Black community, or do we get forgotten?"
Older neighborhood residents often come in the store, sharing stories of what the Fillmore used to be — history that carries weight in a city where the Black population has fallen below 6%, Baldwin and Sayles said.
- That hope is rooted as much in the future as it is in the past. Baldwin hopes to expand partnerships and events, with the goal of growing a stronger base of more repeat customers and continuing to serve as a community gathering space.
- "Historically, a lot of Black monumental spaces get destroyed, so for this to be here means so much," she said.
If you go: Hours vary. Open Wednesday- Sunday at 1567 Fillmore St.