20 Vendors, One Junction: U of M Event Puts Black Business on Display

Twenty vendors will fill the University of Manitoba's University Centre on Friday, Nov. 6, as the U of M Black Students' Community (BSC) hosts The Jxnction, a full-day showcase of Black entrepreneurship running from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The one-day event is free of the usual barriers that keep campus pop-ups small: it sits inside University Centre deliberately, a location the organizers chose for easy access to students and other campus visitors. Vendors will display their products in two high-traffic spots — the Fireside Lounge and the food court — meaning the market effectively embeds itself in the daily flow of campus life rather than in a side room.

Shumirai Marangwanda, the UMSU Black students' representative, explained the reasoning behind organizing the event.

"We decided to organize it to put a spotlight on Black excellence that shows up in the creativity of putting yourself out there in the form of a business ad or craft," Marangwanda said.

What does the name 'The Jxnction' mean?

The unconventional spelling is not a typo. Marangwanda said the concept draws on the image of a traffic junction — different roads converging at one point before splitting off again in separate directions.

"The [symbolism] is that all the different businesses and cultures represented in the Black community will meet up at this one spot […] and guide you down new paths," she said. "The new paths could be a new experience, new clothes, new accessories, the possibilities are endless."

The framing positions vendors less as sellers and more as entry points: a single purchase or conversation is meant to open a longer relationship between attendees and Black-owned businesses.

More than a market

The program extends beyond retail. Organizers have scheduled interactive performances and drumming sessions, which Marangwanda said are intended to make the experience participatory rather than passive for attendees.

That participatory design serves a second purpose. Marangwanda tied the event to the broader question of how Black culture is understood across the university community, arguing that visibility — not just commerce — is the point.

"Black culture is beautiful because it is sacred. But when you keep something a secret, it makes it harder for people of other cultures to understand why we do the things we do and how we do them," Marangwanda said.

She also connected cultural representation to students' sense of belonging at the university, pointing to the work of other UMSU community representatives in creating spaces where students can find connections. The Jxnction, in that reading, is one piece of a wider campus effort rather than a standalone celebration.

What do the organizers want attendees to take away?

Attendance alone is not the metric of success Marangwanda is watching. She said she hopes the event pushes attendees to look past stereotypes associated with Black people and recognize their intellectual contributions, entrepreneurial capacity and potential — along with the practical importance of supporting Black-owned businesses with real spending.

"I hope the sounds, smells, tastes and feels of The Jxnction remain with people," she said.

It is a deliberately sensory ambition for a one-day, nine-hour event with 20 vendors: the bet is that food, drumming and direct conversation with founders leave a longer imprint than a brochure ever could.

Whether that translates into sustained sales for the vendors after Nov. 6 is the question the event itself cannot answer — but it is the one that will determine whether The Jxnction becomes an annual fixture. Readers seeking updates on this event and future celebrations can follow BSC on Instagram at @blackstudents_umsu.