Catalog68 pays tribute to the year 1968, recognizing its significance in Black and Indigenous communities. 1968 marks many firsts for Black people, but was also known for national riots in response to the assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the inadequate reversal of race-based disparities between Black and white people. It was also the year that the American Indian Movement was founded. In the year following (1969), my hometown would see the race riots find their way to Alamance County, contributing to the demise of the county’s version of Black Wall Street (“Black Bottom”). The nation would also witness the occupation of Alcatraz Island as an act of the Red Power Movement intended to draw attention to and raise awareness about the past injustices suffered by American Indian people and the contemporary issues that American Indian communities were facing. 1968 turned a pre-existing spark into a full blaze. Our hope is that this directory will do the same, encouraging those who may be considering or interested in supporting Black and Indigenous owned businesses to support, promote, and invest in the businesses listed in this directory.

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