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It’s 2025, which means we need to support black-owned businesses more than ever!

Insert Black On The Block, a block party who’s sole mission is to elevate the future of Black culture, entrepreneurship, and wellness — stressing the importance in community over anything else. What started as a monthly series in Los Angeles has now transformed into a full-blown festival series, partnering with Live Nation Urban as they expand into 7 major cities across the States.

Back On The Block was created by sisters Lanie and Char Edwards in 2021. Originally from Pittsburgh, Lanie was previously a Youtube beauty vlogger while Char was a costume designer, working with the likes of Post Malone and Migos.

The pivotal moment arrived when Chance The Rapper attended one of their early Black on The Black, shopping at every single vendor on site. The content took off and the traction allowed the girls to scale their event to even greater heights. 

Sheen spoke with Lanie & Char Edwards at their downtown Los Angeles office to discuss the exciting new partnership and what we can expect from the highly-anticipated Juneteenth event.

 

When did you first get the idea for Black on the Block?

Lanie: When the pandemic hit, I was working a job. I quit that job and started doing loungewear. I have my own brand, so I did a pop-up for the first time. I was the only black-owned business at the pop-up. Juneteenth was coming up, I said “let’s throw a black-owned block party for Juneteenth.” Never threw an event before ever, but I just felt it in my soul to do it. [laughs]

We did our first one, we did a call to vendors because Char’s network is very extensive from working on set. She had gained a lot of traction, even on her Instagram. Luckily with my logistical mind and her networking, creative mind, we joined forces. We also lived together, so it was a given.

Char: It was a given, like “what are you doing?” [laughs]

Lanie: It was really well-received. A lot of people were looking to support black- owned businesses, especially at that time. Because George Floyd happened, it was the pandemic. 

You did it during the pandemic?

Lanie: It was right after the pandemic. 

Char: Everyone wanted to be outside. They just lifted it a month or two before.

Lanie: We said “well, let’s have ’em come shop these businesses in person,” since everyone’s looking to support them. The first event went really well. We didn’t plan on it being a monthly event, but it went crazy. 3,4 years later, it’s blown up.

It was a monthly event?

Char: Up until this year. We did it every single month in LA. It was exhausting. [laughs] 

On the same day each month?

Lanie: Always the third or fourth Sunday of each month, and they were huge. It wasn’t just a small little market, it was thousands of people every single month.

How did you get the word out?

Lanie: Once we did the first event, it took off from there. We do paid ads, but it’s really been word of mouth. Especially at the time when we were doing it, there weren’t that many cultural markets happening. There was no other trading posts. There wasn’t really what we were doing, so it was a need that people really wanted to go. 

Char: It was a natural progression. Every month, it got bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger. Our first one was 500 people, then it was 800 people. It was a thousand people, it kept going.

How did that feel? I’m sure that was so rewarding.

Lanie: It was rewarding. It was also very unexpected, because we had no background in this. 

Char: And it was only supposed to be a one-time thing, so we’re learning as we’re going. Oh, people enjoy coming to our events. Let’s keep doing it. 

Lanie: The pivotal moment was when Chance the Rapper came our first year (October 2021). When he came, that’s when it really took off. 

How did he end up there?

Lanie: He had met Char on set. Did he even text you that he was coming? 

Char: I had invited him, but he didn’t respond. [laughs] I guess he’s not going to come, but he just pulled up. He didn’t say, “Hey, I’m on the way.” Ever since then, he comes by himself. 

Lanie: He shopped every single vendor that was there, there were over a hundred. It was really dope. Of course we posted it, that’s when everyone was like, “what is this event?!” Because we were literally at a gym at the time.

Char: Yeah, we were at a small little gym in Pasadena. It had a parking lot on the outside, so we put vendors and food trucks in the parking lot. Inside the gym, we had more indoor vendors. We had a DJ in the boxing ring. 

Lanie: It was cool. It was really cute. That’s what gave us our name of doing it in unconventional spaces. Most flea markets are in a parking lot usually, but we are known for activating in these most random places that people wouldn’t think of activating at. That added to our allure a little bit. [laughs]

So how did the partnership with Live Nation Urban come about?

Lanie: Sean G is the president of Live Nation Urban, he came to one of our events. It was one of our smaller winter events last December. We didn’t think he was going to be that impressed because during the wintertime, it’s a little less poppin’. 

Char: Less crazy.

Lanie: But he was so blown away by it. We’re like, “oh, you like this? You haven’t even see our Juneteenth festival.” But literally from that day, he said “I want to help you guys grow this.” It took a year for our negotiations to go through, but it worked out really well. We ended up having a deal with them where they’re going to help us grow to 7 different cities. We already took it to Dallas and D.C., but now we’re going to take it to Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Detroit.

That is so exciting. Is it stressful?

Char: I don’t think it’s any more stressful than it’s always been. [laughs]

Lanie: It’s definitely more rewarding than other things I’ve done in the past. But stressful, yes. Because we have to please both the vendors and the attendees, it’s very much a customer service job. We have to please everybody, even though we can’t.

Char: We also have a very small team. A lot of people think we have someone who builds out our stuff, who does all the production. No, it’s just us. We’re there in the morning, putting out barricades. We’re still very hands-on with everything, plus talking through the vendors and doing all the administrative stuff. We’re really hands-on, every aspect of the event.

What can we look forward to with the Juneteenth Festival?

Lanie: It’s going to be our best lineup yet. 

Char: We’re so excited, it’s our 4-year anniversary.

Lanie: Typically, we do have a little lineup. But this year, we’re trying to give it a full lineup. 

Char: Because we’re doing it with Live Nation Urban this year.

Any sneak peeks?

Lanie: It’s a really buzzing act. We always like to do really dope activations and giveaways, all that kind of stuff. It’s going to be our biggest one yet.

Since this is for Sheen, do you ladies have any beauty tips?

Char: One of my tips is for my under eyes: before I put concealer on, I put Vaseline. It helps with the decreasing of the concealer. 

Lanie: My tip is to apply your blush and bronzer before you apply your concealer, because it helps blend better and you don’t have that harsh line. Apply blush and bronzer first, then you apply your concealer and it’s the most beautiful blend.

 

Photo Credit: Black on the Block