Jun. 15—It was more than just a fun party.

The Black Chamber of Commerce of New Mexico hosted a rollicking Juneteenth celebration on Civic Plaza throughout the afternoon and into the night on Saturday. But the chamber had more in mind than just a party. It also organized a Black business summit in the Albuquerque Convention Center, which included a pitch contest from local startups.

Karla Causey, the president and CEO of the chamber, said a goal of the event was to educate business owners and potential entrepreneurs about resources that are available to them.

She said Black entrepreneurs too often don’t take advantage of incentives within reach.

“What we found out during COVID, was that a lot of our companies that didn’t succeed, they didn’t succeed because they didn’t know about resources,” Causey said.

The symposium also had games for children, provided by a local small-businessman, and a session on financial literacy catered to teenagers.

WESST (Women’s Economic Self-Sufficiency Team), Sandia National Laboratories, the FBI, local banks and other business development organizations had booths at the event.

“There are so many discriminatory practices that the Black community faces, yet today,” Causey said. “And sometimes, what happens is that they don’t even know about it.”

Malcolm Shelby, a 31-year-old entrepreneur, was at the event for his business, Throwback’s Rollerskating and Entertainment. His company set up an arcade, a mini-golf course and a roller-skating rink inside the Downtown convention center.

He started his business in 2020, during the pandemic, in parks so that children could learn to skate while socially distancing themselves. He said his usual customers are schools, community centers and churches.

“We want to give the next generation something to aspire to,” Shelby said. “Children are excited about what I do. … Sometimes they ask me what I do, and I’m like, ‘I teach kids how to roller-skate every day,’ and they’re like, ‘That sounds like fun.'”