On April 3, 1968, at Mason Temple in Memphis, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” sermon.

As he prepared to close, he told the overflowing crowd: “We’ve got some difficult days ahead.”

Those words ring just as true today as they did nearly six decades ago. We, too, have some difficult days ahead.

By the time this article hits the newsstands (I’m dating myself), the midterm elections will be over. Regardless of the outcome, the fight for justice and humanity will continue with full force.

We’ve got some difficult days ahead.

The present administration and those driving a malicious agenda of anti-human policies driven by greed will likely ratchet up the rhetoric of ruin against safety-net programs. These are the very programs that support the people who actually do the living and dying in this country.

We’ve got some difficult days ahead.

Following the midterms, people who believe in the sacredness of humanity must turn their attention to holding elected officials accountable. Senators and representatives promised to protect the people’s agenda: health care for all, quality education for all, and ensuring billionaires pay their fair share of taxes to fund programs for “the least of these.”

If sober, principled leaders are not elected, and the hounds of hell break through the gates of Congress, then those who believe that every person has inherent dignity, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, or economic status, will have to redouble their efforts. We must resist the fanatical intent of those who believe one race is superior to others.

We’ve got some difficult days ahead.

Churches must stand in the tradition of the prophet Amos. They must declare to wannabe kings and sycophants who trade human principles for profit that God says: “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Black churches in particular must make a Sankofa move, reaching back to reclaim the lessons of ancestors who waged heroic battles against white supremacy and settler colonialism, forcing this country to make drastic changes for the better.

We’ve got some difficult days ahead.

Black churches and people of goodwill must reclaim the narrative. We must prevent the masses, often captivated by social media talking heads who lack the bandwidth for deep theology, ideology, or political literacy, from falling under the influence of rampant ignorance online.

We’ve got some difficult days ahead.

Those who have always wondered what they would have done during the Civil Rights Movement will soon confront a hard truth: what they are doing right now is exactly what they would have done back then. For many, that means doing nothing but talking. Others will realize they are the kind of people Harriet Tubman would have left behind, because they did nothing but get in the way.

We must answer the question Dr. King posed in the title of his final book: Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?

We’ve got some difficult days ahead.

That sentiment reflects the words Jesus left with His disciples, hours before He was executed by the Roman Empire on a cross. In John 16:33, Jesus told them: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Yes, we have difficult days ahead, but we have truth on our side. We have justice on our side. We have our ancestors on our side. We have history on our side.

And for those of us who follow that barefoot preacher from the northeast African region of biblical Palestine, Jesus of Nazareth, we know that victory ultimately triumphs over defeat, because resurrection is a living reality.

Be vigilant, be authentic, and stay woke. Uhuru Sasa!

The Rev. Dr. John E. Jackson, Sr. Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ-Gary, 1276 W. 20th Ave. Gary, IN. Contact the church at [email protected] or by phone at 219-944-0500.

Based on reporting by Gary Crusader.

As this edition of The Washington Informer hits the stands, millions of citizens have cast their ballots, made their voices heard, and begun reflecting on the election’s outcome. The atmosphere this election season has been heavy. We feel the weight of history, the tension of a divided nation, and anxiety about tomorrow. In this issue, I remind Gen Z voters of the past struggles that secured this right.

I voted early, which reminded me that votingisn’t a mere political calculation. For people of faith, it is a profound act of stewardship, a tool for community survival and an expression of our deepest moral values.

For Black Americans, low-income families and marginalized communities, the ballot is a sacred inheritance. The right to vote was not a gift; it was paid for in blood, sacrifice, and the determination of people whorefused toaccept second-class citizenship. We must never forget that for decades, our ancestors faced systemic terror just to register. They were met with violent police dogs, high-pressure fire hoses, mandatory literacy tests designed to make them fail, and the constant threat of white supremacist violence.

Historians estimate that dozens of documented freedom fighters were murdered during the voting rights campaigns of the 1950s and 1960s, with countless other deaths unrecorded or unpunished. Millions more endured brutal beatings and dehumanizing jail cells. The protections we rely on today were forged in the heat of protest, through the 1961 Freedom Rides, the dangerous 1964 Freedom Summer registration drives, and the brutal crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge during the Selma-to-Montgomery march on “Bloody Sunday” in 1965.

Today, we stand on the broad shoulders of giants who put their lives on the line so we could walk into a voting booth with our heads held high.

We remember Fannie Lou Hamer, asharecropper’s daughter who was brutally beaten in a Mississippi jail for her voting rights activism and famously declared that she was “sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

We remember John Lewis, who, as a student leader, had his skull fractured by police batons in Selma and spent his life protecting what he called the most powerful nonviolent tool we have.”

We honor Jimmie Lee Jackson, a 26-year-old church deacon and veteran who was shotand killedby an Alabama state trooper while protecting his family during a peaceful march.

We honor Medgar Evers, the NAACP field secretary who was assassinated in his driveway for his civil rights and voter registration work.

Lastly, we honor Viola Liuzzo, a mother of five who traveled from Detroit to Alabama to shuttle Selma marchers before she was targeted and killed by Ku Klux Klan members.

When we view the ballot box through the lens of history and faith, the narrative shifts from partisan warfare to spiritual responsibility. Voting becomes a tangible way to love our neighbors as ourselves.

The policies shaped by our votes directly affect the vulnerable, the poor, and the stranger. InMicah6:8, we are asked: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”Notice the action words. We are commanded to do justice. Castinga ballot with the collectivecommunity in mind helps fulfill that requirement. Similarly, Proverbs 29:2teaches, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.”Righteousness in public policy is about fairness, equity, and protecting human dignity.

No matter what the election results show, our assignment remains unchanged. If your candidate won, your job now is to hold them accountable to justice and mercy. If your candidate lost, your job is to remain resilient, keeping your hands on the plow to protect the vulnerable and speak truth to power. Our ultimate hope does not rest in any political party or elected official.

If you have already voted, I commend you for honoring the ancestors. If you did not cast your ballot,I urge you to reflect on this election not with fear or cynicism, but as a reminder of our ongoing sacred responsibility.

For information on local election results and future voting opportunities, consult your official local election authorities. Continue to engage in the democratic process with a heart centered on love for your community, carry the names of those who died for your right to be there, and let us resolve to bind up our nation’s wounds together.

Please do not think this inhumane treatment is over. Though this column reminds readers of the past, everything is not perfect yet.

According to civil rights groups and a report by the organization JULIAN, which documentedmore than70 cases of suspected modern-daylynchings across seven Southern states between2000 and 2025, systemic violence persists. Furthermore, independent tracking by groups such as Black Lives Matter of Atlanta reportedly recorded a recent uptick between March 2025and August 2026, finding at least22 Blackindividuals dead under suspicious or unusual hanging circumstances across the country.

Each vote helps bring about the necessary change, and that change begins at the ballot box. Make that change!

Lyndia Grant is a speaker/writer living in the D.C. area. Her radio show, “Think on These Things,” airs Fridays at 6 p.m. on 1340 AM (WYCB), a Radio One station. To reach Grant, go to her website, www.lyndiagrant.com, email [email protected] or call 240-602-6295. Follow her on X @LyndiaGrant and on Facebook.

Based on reporting by Washington Informer.

Madison Holmes wanted to leave Southern University. Now, she calls the Martin Luther King Jr. Catholic Student Center home.

The center’s new computer lab has become one of the places where Holmes feels calm, supported and connected to campus life. Holmes said she struggled with being away from her support system in Pass Christian, Mississippi, while also managing difficult classes. At the time, transferring closer to home seemed like a better option.

She recalled going to the library one day to print a lab report and finding a long line at the printer. “I was like, ‘Oh, wait. I know where I can go,’” Holmes said. “So, I came here and printed out my lab report, and then I took it to class.” Her experience is one example of how the center provides students with a place to turn when they need support.

The computer lab opened in October after the project began in August 2026. An anonymous private benefactor provided funding that helped pay for the lab and other improvements throughout the building.

The Rev. Thomas F. Clark, chaplain of the Martin Luther King Jr. Catholic Student Center, said the center aims to support students as they adjust to college life away from home. “You realize that when you’re away from home for the first time, you’re trying to make your way,” Clark said.

According to Clark, students often expressed the need for additional study space. Others shared concerns about unreliable laptops or computer crashes, concerns that ultimately helped shape the decision to add a computer lab.

The lab is one of several resources available to students. The center also provides Wi-Fi, study space and approximately 50 meals every Thursday at 5 p.m. Located across from Bethune Hall, the Martin Luther King Jr. Catholic Student Center has served Southern University students for decades.

According to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge, Father Rawlin B. Enette advocated for a stronger Catholic presence at Southern in the late 1960s. Construction on the center began in 1969 after land was donated by a university official.

Originally known as the Newman Center, the building was later renamed the Martin Luther King Jr. Catholic Student Center. Southern University art professor Frank Hayden also created religious artwork for the facility.

While the center provides practical resources, it also offers students a place to slow down, reflect and feel supported. For Holmes, Clark is part of that support system. “I do think that Father Clark is a safe space and a person I could go to,” Holmes said.

That sense of availability is intentional. Clark said students sometimes stop by with personal concerns or during times of stress. They talk and, in some cases, pray together as he helps students navigate the semester.

“We just feel that we can add to that support by being available and providing a warm and friendly place,” Clark said. As students navigate the challenges of college life, the Martin Luther King Jr. Catholic Student Center continues to offer a place of support, community and encouragement. For Holmes, it has become a home away from home.

Gallery • 3 Photos Brianna Meeks Interior shots of the newly create computer lab.

Based on reporting by Southern University – SouthernDIGEST.

Georgia Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms is preparing to lead the same state where her great-great-grandfather was enslaved. Sheppard Peek was listed in an 1860 inventory of a white man’s possessions in Crawfordville, Georgia, with an assigned value of $1,400, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC).

On Monday (November 2), just one day before the election, Bottoms returned to Crawfordville, where she spoke with approximately 100 Black voters before visiting the grave of her great-great-grandmother, Betsy Peek. Bottoms knelt at Betsy’s grave and wept, the AJC reported.

“My grandmother would tell me the story of her parents packing them up in a horse and buggy and making their way to Atlanta,” Bottoms told the newspaper. “All of our stories can be told.”

The following day, Bottoms made history becoming the first Black woman elected governor in the United States. Her victory also made her Georgia’s first Black governor and its first female governor.

Before entering the gubernatorial race, Bottoms served as Atlanta’s mayor from 2018 to 2022 and worked as a senior adviser in former President Joe Biden’s administration.

She secured the Democratic nomination in May after receiving more than 50% of the primary vote, BIN previously reported.

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The post Keisha Lance Bottoms To Govern State Where Her Great-Great-Grandfather Was Enslaved appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Daily World.

The moment you become a student at Southern University and A&M College, you step through the doors of endless possibilities, equipped with the power to write your own chapter in history. Every person is born with the mental, physical and vocal ability to walk the paths they choose. Yet as a Jaguar, you are called to do more than follow a path. You are empowered to create one. Jaguars have the ability to break new ground and build what is needed, for change, for dreams, for legacy and for the culture.

On Tuesday, Oct. 27., Southern University and A&M College hosted its annual Second Line to the Polls event, encouraging students not only to vote, but also to educate and be educated. As busloads of students traveled from campus to the Louisiana Art & Science Museum in downtown Baton Rouge, the mission became crystal clear, and the blue and gold spirit shined even brighter.

Southern University’s Student Government Association, the Human Jukebox, the NAACP, Collegiate 100, Omega Tau Pi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta Sigma and Sigma Gamma Rho came together in solidarity, leading the way as students marched from the museum to Baton Rouge City Hall to exercise their right to vote in true South Louisiana fashion.

Historically, a second line in Louisiana has served as a powerful expression of celebration, unity and community. To witness a second line is to witness resilience, joy, freedom and an electrifying spirit that brings people together through culture. Thanks to the leadership of SGA President Bryman Williams and Jaden York, this year’s event reflected those values and more.

Attorney Vernon Wesley Thomas, a Southern University Law Center graduate and current candidate for judge in Louisiana’s 19th Judicial District Court, reflected on the significance of the event and the student turnout. “ You cut me, I bleed blue and gold. Seeing all the young people carry this energy and this will to come out and vote is amazing. I love seeing the youth like this; I love the unity…The youth is the future.” His remarks proved that this event carried out more than what was visible on the surface. It carried civil respect rooted not only in deep-rooted culture, but also in deep-rooted legacy and love.

Gallery • 5 Photos Rhyanna Burks Actress and producer, Meagan Good, supporting Southern University students and the city of Baton Rouge at the Secondline to the Polls event hosted by Jaden York, Southern alum and student organizations at Southern University on Tuesday October 27.

Actress Meagan Good Majors came to support the event out of pure love and a pure heart for the youthful drive and determination shown by Southern University students.

The Second Line to the Polls shined harmony through freedom, painted a picture of power and showcased the elegance of the youthful heart. Southern University used culture to call and command. Our culture is our color, our footsteps in history and our freedom brought to life.

Our vote is our voice, our future, our story and our rights. Southern University lit fire of them both, strengthening our reality, our identity, our legacy and our history.

Go Vote, Jags!

Based on reporting by Southern University – SouthernDIGEST.

Vendor expenses determine profits before pop-up shops even open. Your success or the lack thereof is influenced by booth fees, suppliers, and advertising. Pop-ups bring new products to your customers, but they can also leave you out of pocket.

According to IBISWorld, the US pop-up shop industry revenue exceeded $15.6 billion in 2024. Pop-ups offer Black-owned businesses an easy way to try out their products, connect with customers, and build loyalty without the need for a permanent location. This can be particularly helpful for entrepreneurs who struggle to secure the financing needed to start a business.

Before you pay for a booth, look at the costs and work out how much you need to sell to break even. A little planning can help you decide whether an event is worth the investment. Just keep in mind that large crowds don’t always mean big profits.

What Do Pop-up Shops Really Cost?

A pop-up business pays for more than a table and a tent, and booth fees alone vary widely. A June 2026 fayVen study on U.S. vendor opportunities found a middle booth fee of about $55 for listings with confirmed prices. However, costs differed considerably by location, with some high-end markets charging much more.

Ask event organizers for a complete breakdown of costs. Some additional expenses to keep in mind include:

• Electricity
• Insurance
• Permits
• Equipment rental
• Additional display space

Don’t forget about any deposits or application fees, which may be non-refundable. That can be a big deal if bad weather keeps shoppers away and you end up paying the full amount. Before committing, make sure you understand the refund and cancellation policies.

A lower fee can make a first event less risky, but the pop-up still needs to meet your needs. A higher fee may be justified if the event attracts shoppers likely to buy your products.

Get the details in writing. Ask the organizer to confirm the price and what the fee covers. Check local rules on permits and sales restrictions, since these can differ by area and product.

How Do You Work Out Your Break-Even Point?

Before you book a market, work out how much you need to sell to cover your costs. That way, you can judge whether the booth is worth the price.

Add every cost, then divide by the profit on each item. Here is an example.

A candle maker books a 10×10 booth for $375 and pays a $25 application fee. Display supplies cost $60, travel and parking cost $45, and packaging plus card fees cost $70. Total spending is $575.

Each candle sells for $30 and costs $12 to make, so profit is $18 per candle. Divide $575 by $18, and you get 32 candles. Every sale after the 32nd is profit.

Now ask a hard question: can you sell 32 candles in one day? Check your results from past events and ask organizers about attendance.

If the number looks out of reach, don’t force it. Pick a smaller area or bring products with higher margins so the math works in your favor.

Compare prices with similar products, but do not assume you must be the cheapest vendor. Customers also weigh up quality, usefulness, and the experience of buying directly from the maker.

Remember to account for payment processing fees and any commission the organizer takes from sales. If the event requires a minimum inventory, consider how much money will be tied up in products that might not sell.

For many small business owners, especially first-time entrants, the challenge is balancing ambition with reality.

How Do You Get Your Pop-up Booth Noticed?

A good location matters, but so does the audience. A busy market doesn’t guarantee sales if the crowd isn’t interested in your products. Research events before committing so you know the visitors match your business.

Visibility is the lifeline of a pop-up shop. Make your booth easy to read at a glance. Clear pricing, a tidy display, and convenient payment options can make shopping a breeze.

Confusion and long delays can turn customers away to a competitor.

Branded materials can help customers remember your name and product. For example, a vendor could sell custom tote bags or use them to package purchases.

Lighting, signage, and layout matter, too. An inviting booth will draw people in even if they weren’t planning to stop. Step back and look at your setup from across the room.

If people can’t tell what you’re selling, adjust until your products speak for themselves.

Don’t forget the human touch. A warm greeting, a short story about why you started your pop-up business, or a quick demo can turn casual interest into a sale.

Shoppers who choose local businesses often want connection. Give them that, and your booth will stand out.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Find Pop-up Shop Opportunities Near You?

Start with local business associations, community development organizations, neighborhood social media groups, and event calendars. Find markets that suit your product and reach out to those market managers directly.

Before applying, check the event’s audience, vendor selection process, fees, and rules.

What Licenses Do Pop-up Shop Vendors Need?

Requirements usually depend on the:

• Location
• Business activity
• Items sold

A vendor may need a local business license, a temporary seller permit, or additional approval for some types of merchandise. Food vendors face separate health and safety requirements. Check with the city or county where the event takes place before accepting a booking.

What Are Some Good Pop-Up Shop Marketing Ideas?

Start promoting well before the event. Use a mix of social media, local business advertising partnerships, and in-person promotion. Post your booth number, email your list, and tag the organizer so they can share your brand.

Early visibility builds anticipation and gives customers a reason to look for you once the doors open. Small business marketing works best when it’s personal. A quick video showing your setup or a behind-the-scenes look at your products can generate interest.

These moments remind people they’re supporting a real person, not just a logo.

Pop-up Shops Demand Careful Math

Pop-up shops bring energy, community, and a chance to connect with customers who value small-business credibility. Yet profits don’t start at the cash register. They start with decisions you make weeks before the event, including understanding vendor costs.

Is a pop-up shop in your future? Head to our website to learn more about small businesses and why shopping local matters.

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