Trevecca’s third annual Black Renaissance celebrates local black-owned businesses

By Lauren Steinbrook

Assistant Online Editor

Trevecca’s third annual Black Renaissance highlights contributions of black entrepreneurs and promotes community sport.

Walden, Trevecca’s Black Student Association, hosted its third annual Black Renaissance event on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. The event brought together over 30 local Black-owned businesses, offering a wide range of food, art, and products for students and attendees to enjoy.

This year’s Black Renaissance was a celebration of both culture and entrepreneurship, with vendors showcasing items such as clothing, skincare products, handmade goods, shoes, and art.

The event was held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Boone Convocation Center, and attendees had the opportunity to shop, dine from food trucks, and enjoy entertainment throughout the night.

Throughout the night, music was provided by current and former Walden students.

To open the night, Walden president and Trojan Idol winner from 2024, Anthony Griffey, performed with Howard Dodd, Walden’s former president from 2023.

The night was followed by a welcome from Terrence Schofield, associate provost for mission excellence and reconciliation.

Stephen Clarke, founder of Inspire Now, has been creating Christian clothing for seven years.

“I wanted to create clothes that are both comfortable and let people express their faith,” he said. “Being creative and combining my love for graphic design and faith led to the creation of Inspire Now. I’m excited to be here today.”

Clark also offered a special discount for attendees. “If you want to shop at Inspire Now, use promo code Trevecca10 for 10% off your order through the end of March.”

“I try to be a one-stop shop for black children’s books,” said Shardae Robinson, founder of Lil Lit Books. “We have books featuring black children as the main character, fun books that reflect their lives. The majority of these books are also Black-authored and/or illustrated. We have options for babies all the way to teens and young adults.”

Robinson shared that she started her business during COVID, out of a personal need during the pandemic when she struggled to find books that reflected her son. “I wanted to find books that looked like him, represented him in some way, and realized there wasn’t one place for these kinds of books,” said Robinson. “So that’s where the idea came from.”

Shayla Holt, an artist from Smyrna, Tennessee, has only been doing art since March and says it’s a great way to get out her creative side. She started art as a hobby.

“I thought I’d try painting landscapes and flowers, but that didn’t last long,” said Hold. “I went to a Hawaiian fluid art class, and I found my passion in fluid art ever since. The instructor let me loose and showed me the ropes, and here I am today.”

“I started making dominos because my dad taught me how to count with them, we would go through counting the dots,” said Holt.

Daybreak Art, a unique art company that uses recycled car parts, and turns them into art.

“I go up and down the street finding old, broken car parts. I cut them up, turn them into art, and that’s how I make my pieces,” said Edwin Lockridge. “For me to be able to make art for other people and the world…it is my calling.”

Lockridge has been making art for over 50 years and still says he has “only scratched the surface”

Quincy, founder of God Made, a Christian clothing brand, shared the inspiration behind his brand. “God Made started in Atlanta during COVID, and now we’re here in Nashville,” he said. “We focus on earth and cool designs, creating apparel that allows people to represent God in a powerful way. I’ve been doing this for over ten years, and it’s been a blessing to see it grow.”

He also added that the brand was originally founded by a friend, but he took it over, evolving it into the God Made brand with its distinct, simple, yet powerful designs. “God has been good throughout this journey,” he said.

“Cooking at Napier has been an eye-opening experience, especially learning from people with different personalities and backgrounds,” said Marianna Cokley, one of the Chefs. “I’ve learned so much about the culture of food and the deep roots in the community. It’s been incredible to work with professionals who teach me how to blend flavors and improve my skills.”

Chef D’Ante Franklin shared that they joined the Napier cooking program in 2021 and had grown passionate about the craft ever since.

“I really wanted to learn how to cook, and this program gave me the opportunity to mix and match flavors, trying new things. It’s a wonderful experience,” said Franklin.