Through Kandiss Edwards
August 8, 2025
Black women create a blueprint for community structure and business cooperation on Upshur Street in Washington.
In the Petworth in Washington, DC, a single Block Upshur Street is the home of several companies in black women.
The women redefine what community entrepreneurship looks like. In the first place, the residents of Washington, the Black Women institutions are rooted in both inheritance and collective empowerment.
For Alexes Haggins, founder of Flowers by Alexes, Entrepreneurship is generation. The women of Upshur Street contradicted So 9 About their business efforts and connections with the community.
“I have been here since I was 9 years old. My father moved to the other end of the block, and that is where Alexes flowers were born,” she said So 9. “We have reopened the store, and we have been here and it has been doing very well since then.”
Local creatives and Hustlers regularly Use Haggins’ EveNT Space. It is more than just a store. It is a springboard.
On the other side of the flowers of flowers of Alexes, Petworth cigars combines tradition with a pride with neighborhood. Dyane Johnson, the owner of the store, sees cooperation, no competition.
“It is excellent to be able to have the support and integration of different companies,” she said. “Shops that offer clothing, flowers, food.”
That mix includes elephant in my room, a lifestyle boutique Owned by Tisha Brown, Those of styling racks in her apartment went to claim her own physical space.
“I started selling clothes five years ago with a single rack in my apartment with two bedrooms,” she said. “From there I did pop-ups. I was in Fia’s middle room when she was here, so it’s a complete circle to be back, and this is now my space.”
Only a few doors lower have clocked the cookie clothing of Michelle Smith for 25 years.
Haggins has left the area, but has returned and is enthusiastic to make contact with the community again.
“Just come back, reach and make contact with the community again and how they receive me, it was just a good feeling,” she said. “So the things we do is that we organize all different types of events-we do yoga, pilates, crochet, just something where the community will have a place to come and enjoy and just enjoy the space.”
Black women now have almost 40% of black companies in the district, according to the city department of small and local business development.
Washington leads the nation in the number of black companies per head of the population. Although these women are part of the growing statistics, the way they do business creates the blueprint for others to follow.
The black women of Upshur Street work together and locally. Their presence increases economic activity and helps the surrounding community to build ecosystem.
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