When it comes to Black businesses in Philly, it’s not just about entrepreneurship — it’s about legacy. It’s about the families who’ve built something from the ground up and made sure their work would outlive them. From flower shops to bookstores to coffeeshops and beyond, these businesses tell a story of resilience, creativity and love. This Black History Month, Visit Philadelphia is shining a spotlight on some generational changemakers with Legacy & Love, a video series celebrating the Black-owned businesses that have been passed down or built up as tributes to those who came before.
Paulette Beale Harris, second-generation owner of Philadelphia’s Paul Beale’s Florist, gets choked up when her mother (also the flower shop’s co-founder) asks why it’s important for her to carry on the family’s legacy.
For Paulette, the answer is easy. Her parents (Paul and Altermese) worked hard to open the West Oak Lane business in 1971 and worked even harder to build customer loyalty over nearly five decades. For her parents to trust their daughter to carry on their work and continue to provide a quality product and top-notch service is a responsibility she takes seriously. Welling with emotion, Paulette tells her mom that she doesn’t want their hard work and sacrifice to be “in vain.”
The Beales’ story of passing down a business from one generation to another is an important one, particularly in the Black community, where business ownership tends to lag. The Pew Research Center reported that in 2021, only about 3% of U.S. businesses were Black or African American owned.
This year for Black History Month, Visit Philadelphia is celebrating by highlighting Black-owned businesses that have been passed down through generations, as well as those that have been built as tributes to loved ones. Visit Philadelphia’s new four-part video series, Legacy & Love, does just that, celebrating the creativity and contributions of these businesses — and the families that power them.
Available on visitphilly.com, the videos document the stories of the Beales, along with Lori Thomson and her mom Vera Doyle (Vera Doyle boutique), Yvonne Blake and granddaughter Alana Rambera (Hakim’s Bookstore), and sisters Sharla and Sharaine Brown (Arterial Coffee).
These four businesses stand as shining examples of the hundreds of Black-owned shops, boutiques and restaurants that anchor communities throughout Philadelphia, from Mt. Airy to South Street to West Philly — and everywhere in between.
The videos explore the challenges previous generations have faced in starting and building their businesses, the importance of passing down legacies from one generation to the next and how current owners honor familial legacies while forging their own paths.
“Building my legacy in Philadelphia means honoring the city’s rich history of Black entrepreneurship and paying homage to my mother,” said Lori Thomson, owner of Vera Doyle boutique in the Mt. Airy section of the city. “The Legacy & Love series is a strong affirmation that Black stories are worth celebrating and a reminder that legacies are built on love and bold dreams.”
Throughout the year, Visit Philadelphia will add to the series, spotlighting more Black-owned businesses powered by legacy and love.
With so much culture, inspiration and love floating around the city, you’ll want to do more than just read about it here. You have to experience it for yourself. To plan your trip to Philadelphia and book your stay, go to visitphilly.com. There you’ll find loads of information about where to go, what to do, where to stay and other must-have info for your visit. Don’t miss the site’s Black Culture section, featuring stories about African American historic and cultural sites, Black-owned restaurants and shops, exhibit and event details and more.
