Posted on 7/16/2022

The Merriam-Webster dictionary define the word POPULACE as “the common people, mass.” I did not know it at the time the word came to me. I was starting my entrepreneurial journey in the selling of black art and needed a name. I wanted the name to stand for community, oneness, a unit. How else would I describe a community of dope melanated artists? Then one day the word POPULACE came to me while lying in bed. I jumped up and plugged the word into Google. Now you know I was like “oh shit” when I seen POPULACE summed up everything, I wanted in a business name. POPULACE LLC was born from a voice that whispered at night.

But this was not the only time the word spoke to me. A few years later, I ended up hearing the word Populace while listening to a MLK’s speech titled “How Long? Not Long!”. If you know me than you know I have a passion for politics and activism. During this time, I was studying King after listening to Roland Martin and my favorite Thursday panel Dr. Carr, Reecie Colbert, and our good sis who live her name Erica Savage, talk about how King was far from the passive man he been made out to be. And they were not lying. In this speech King spoke openly about how media was being used to push the doctrine of white supremacy. You would have thought he was discussing today’s climate if he wasn’t an ancestor. This led me to research the era of the civil rights movement and how activist moved, giving me a clear picture of the chess board of politics we live in. I am intrigued is how I will leave this, but do not be surprised if you hear that the Populace Movement had a rebirth.

Populace Wellness was a business idea that I sat to the side years ago. I sat it to the side to do Populace Art. The idea came from speaking with an administrator where I work name Mrs. Georgette. I was using other natural products purchased from her and other local creators, but I needed something different. My edges were starting to fall out, for several reasons, and what I was using was not working to prevent or preserve my edges. I also wanted a butter that was nourishing to my skin but didn’t have a perfume scent. In my profession, I must take special care of my feet and hands, keeping them moisturized. I wear composite toe shoe and wash my hands on the regular. I started researching base oils, essential oils, butters, and herbs to see what I can create to help my personal concerns, that I know concerns others.

This was a costly process that left me with several batches of mixtures that did not make the cut. I personally use those batches. I cannot be wasteful when it comes to my coin, lol. Once I got the process of creating formulas down pack, I passed out samples of my creations for a test run. The reviews were great. My samples started generating sales before I had labels. Brothers is showing out with love for my beard oil. They are getting stopped in these streets by women from the scent. Sisters are saying my hair oil is more like a leave in conditioner and the smell is relaxing. So now it’s time to launch my product to see what the world thinks of them. We have a ton of ideas for future products, and we plan to add some soulful goodies.

So as you can see, that one whisper is looking to turn into a brand, A Populace Brand. Populace Wellness was just destined to be first. I hope you all enjoyed the read. This is my very 1st blog post so be kind, lol. Please check out the products, like, share, and follow us on our social media platforms. I’m attaching a link to the transcript of the MLK speech I referred to at the bottom. It’s a good short read.

Love & Light my people…….

https://voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-long-not-long-speech-text/