Juneteenth Bingo: Mark these amazing Black-owned businesses off your card

TAMPA, Fla. - A pair of Tampa Bay Area moms hope their Juneteenth Bingo game cards will spell success for Black-owned businesses.

Kiva Williams and Karimah Henry each run a local blog that celebrates Black-owned businesses. They have now come together to create the Tampa Bay Black Excellence Challenge, featuring a Juneteenth Bingo card this month.

"It’s definitely a need because we know that the generational wealth gap is just very prominent and small businesses, especially minority owned businesses, they need extra help and support. So, we're just trying to shout them out, amplify their voices and get the get them known," Kiva Williams said.

The goal of the monthlong challenge is to create awareness of and support for Black-owned businesses. They hope the bingo cards drive customers to visit stores, leave reviews, and share with their friends. 

The bloggers chose Juneteenth because it marks the date in 1865 the last slaves in Galveston, Texas learned they were free. 

"Juneteenth means a fresh new start for our people, being able to get my family involved in supporting black owned businesses and just a new generation of kids, they get to see things that we weren't able to see growing up," Henry said.

Rhonda McGrew of Elite Pediatric Healthcare is one of the businesses participating in the challenge. She opened her practice a year ago and says the challenge has made a difference.

"As a small business owner, I think that in order to stand out and celebrate Juneteenth, to bring more awareness to other people in the community, to also motivate them to be able to do the same," McGrew said.

The challenge last through the end of the month. Once participants complete a row to achieve Bingo they can enter to win prizes.

For more information visit: https://www.tampabayblackexcellencechallenge.com/