21 YOUTH STREET is a 30-day Carnaby Square pop-up programme opening its doors to young Black creatives and business owners in London. 

The event is curated by My Runway Group which aims to support young people and showcase their talents.

It will feature art, food, entertainment and more.

The Voice spoke to founder Kojo Marfo, who’s been running My Runway Group for 7 years. He told us why an event like this is so important during Black History Month.

[The Black community] has to struggle twice as hard to get store placement. 

Kojo Marfo, founder of My Runway Group

What inspired you to curate 21 Youth Street?

I saw a lack of visibility for Black owned brands. [The Black community] has to struggle twice as hard to get store placement. 

A lot of businesses are thriving online but don’t have much engagement in person. That’s what we’re trying to provide, especially for Black business owners.

We will have Black creatives in a prime central London location, where they can engage and connect with new customers.

Why did you choose to run your event during Black History Month? 

Last year, we hosted 21 Youth Street in May. This year, due to COVID we couldn’t host it at the same time. That’s when we decided to push it to Black History Month, so we could also highlight Black-owned businesses. 

For the launch week, we have teasers of beauty stores and fitness pop-ups. However, our tenancy is for eight months – so we’re looking to curate many more sessions and highlight many more diverse businesses.

What would you say to those interested in the event?

Despite COVID, this is the perfect time for businesses who are truly connected to the culture to have a presence in such a location. We want owners to take their business beyond just online and see these opportunities for themselves. 

We also want people to support Black businesses. We’ve had some pop-us in different areas. However, this is Carnaby Street – which has been a fashion and culture hub for years. Rolling Stones have a store opposite us and Adidas is moving in. 

We want to encourage a wider audience to access these businesses, not just for Black Pound Day – but on an ongoing basis.

Can other business owners get involved?

Yes! What we are doing is by us, for us. That’s our model. They don’t have to be a brand either, we are looking for service providers to get involved also. 

Anyone interested can email [email protected]

Will there be networking opportunities?

100%. We have a Black youth wall of fame – which is a picture frame of individuals we think the world should know about. People that are doing amazing things for British culture. There are many educational opportunities in the pop-up as well. 

We want it to be an experience for the community.