By Christina Blacken for Explore Asheville
Excerpt:
Noir Collective AVL is a boutique and art gallery of Black entrepreneurs co-founded by Ajax Ravenel and Alexandria Monque Ravenel. Carrying t-shirts, jewelry, essential oils, and many other handmade items from Black-owned businesses, they describe themselves as a network of wellness warriors, creative activists, social justice visionaries, cultural keepers, and peace makers. The founders were motivated to create Noir Collective AVL after recognizing the need to create income opportunities for entrepreneurs and creatives impacted by the pandemic.
The shop is located in the YMI Cultural Center building, a move made by the founders in a desire to revitalize Asheville’s historic Black business district known as “The Block.” The Block was the economic center for Black Asheville for over 126 years, where dozens of Black owned businesses flourished until urban renewal pushed them out. In a recent interview with The Urban News, co-founder Alexandria Monque Ravenel explained the mission and purpose of Noir Collective, “We believe that in order to achieve collective liberation, our community needs to focus on opening greater opportunities for access that have been historically denied to African Americans.”