For many, a trip to the pharmacy wasn't just a chore; it was a social ritual they were violently excluded from. Find out how Solace is turning that on its head with each hour they’re open.
Solace Pharmacy is the utopic Black experience the culture has been yearning for. Even if not solely for the Black community, it supports business models that aren’t solely white-owned and operated.
Upon entering the pharmacy on the gorgeous, busy Philadelphia streets, there’s every quick health/wellness product you’d need, and a prescription window directly in front. On the shelves, you’ll see products you know and love, along with some Black-owned alternatives that will make you want to switch your products on the spot! Solace Pharmacy gives customers the opportunity to invest in themselves, their future, and their community.
This is what the activists of the Civil Rights Movement and far prior fought for. They endured fight after fight just to be able to use the services offered.
The 1963 Van Avery Drug Store protest. The Dockum Drug Store Sit-in. The Arlington Drugstore Protests. Rights being upheld to keep segregation laws for pharmacies. Schools of pharmacy remaining segregated, not graduating their first Black students until the 1970s. This is only a small part of the long battle African Americans and their allies fought to be able to comfortably walk into a pharmacy. The luxury of comfort, and the reparation of nostalgia.
A look inside a night of black cultural magic; how Michigan’s premier community and politics group took over Detroit
Detroit will always hold an elder role in when discussing the origin of Black success. The work their community has done has built and encouraged generations, as it did at the 2025 Annual Holiday party hosted by the Black Caucus Foundation of Michigan.
The BCFM is an organization dedicated providing educational research. Each year, they hold various gatherings to discuss pressing topics within society that affect the Black community; a larger one being their annual Holiday Party.
The room was filled with beauty, passion, dedication, and splendor as the organization came to tackle the topic of Gun Violence, Drugs, and Poverty in the Michigan area.
An inspiring night to say the least, as these educators and policymakers tackle difficult topics that turn heads upon discussion. BCFM is none other than a change-making movement for Michigan’s Black community to feel seen and be involved
The elaborateness of the catering spreads and historic building accompanied the esteemed leaders with their loved ones by their side. One could say it was an authentic presentation of Black generational wealth and joy.
After interviewing Black Women in hopes of getting an intergenerational perspective, many Black women felt the joy of the night, but the pressures of society on and in their communities. Whether it be an academic, faith-based, or personal interaction, Black communities are at risk due to the effects of Gun Violence, drugs, and poverty.
