Do you know where you’re from?  African Ancestry wants to help people find out.  They’re a DNA-based ancestry tracing and research group who have been featured in the CNN Presents Black in America series.  African Ancestry says they want to help African Americans to find out their roots more easily and accurately.  On August 1^st, African Ancestry hit the road with a 14-city “We Are Africa” road tour starting from New Orleans.  They’ve been traveling daily to US cities ever since and this Sunday, the road tour makes a stop to Bed-Stuy!

Gina Paige, president & co-founder of African Ancestry originally sought venue space in Harlem, but was asked to consider Bedford-Stuyvesant.  “We chose Brooklyn because it is a cultural center for people with African-centered thoughts, values, and histories. More specifically, we wanted to partner with the Black-owned businesses that are thriving in Bed-Stuy,” she said.  African Ancestry partnered with Bed-Stuy business owners Angela Terry of Therapy Wine Bar (364 Lewis Avenue, between Macon and Halsey Streets), Richard Beavers of House of Art Gallery (373 Lewis Avenue at Macon Street) and Alexia Billiart and Ardenia Brown of at the soon-to-come produce place Butternut Market.  Gina continued to say, “Partnering with Black organizations, institutions, and businesses is an integral component of this Road Tour and the owners of Butternut Market, House of Art, and Therapy Wine Bar are entrepreneurial colleagues whose businesses deserve our support.”

These business owners are not only sponsors of this event, but they are actual DNA participants.  Each of them will learn about their African heritage “live” and in public.  New York State Assemblyman William Boyland, Jr. will also  learn what his lineage will reveal.  “There’s another side that we don’t know about,” Butternut Market co-owner Ardenia Brown said with sheer anticipation.  “From the revealing of my DNA, I’m many things, but who else am I?!!  I will find out on Sunday!”

Presentations will take place at the studio space of House of Art Gallery at 2:00PM.    Attendees will be able to purchase any African Ancestry test kit at a promotional rate.  Butternut Market will also host a food tasting in front of House of Art, where the public will have a chance to sample various salads and products that will be sold when they open.  The celebration will then continue at Therapy Wine Bar.  The partners are hoping the three businesses will be able to reach out to everyone in the neighborhood and beyond.   Ardenia Brown made a call to all drummers and dancers, to come and be apart of the event.  “This will be a day of celebration,” she said.  “We need to embrace with all the love joy and pain that our people have gone through.  When we wake up, we’re waking up the ancestors inside of us.”

“We Are Africa” Road Tour in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn
Sunday August 15, 2010

Presentations at 2PM and 3PM
House of Art Brooklyn
373 Lewis Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11233

Reception (Immediately Following Presentation)
Therapy Wine Bar
364 Lewis Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11233

“We Are Africa” Road Tour on Facebook
“We Are Africa” Road Tour on YouTube

It’s not as bad as it could have been.  One week later after a top floor fire caused some damage to the ground floor of the soon Butternut Market (307 Stuyvesant Avenue at Halsey Street), business partners Ardenia Brown and Alexia Billart are counting their blessings.  ”We thank God that no one was hurt in the fire, but it truly could have been worse if we were set up and our equipment and food could have been destroyed,” Ardenia reports.  ”We’re still moving forward with the renovations.  We did have water damage and smoke damage, which insurance will cover that.  It’s a set back, but it’s only a set back for the set up.”

Incidents such as this prove that having a small or new business in Bed-Stuy or any other neighborhood is filled with challenges.  Unfortunately, the fire has delayed the plan to open next month.  ”It’s going to kick us back a couple of weeks, but we plan to be open this summer.  We can’t give a date right now because we have to wait on the inspection.  We are moving forward.”  Ardenia and Alexia say they are aware of the community’s needs and they are continuing to see this through.

Rumor has it that a gourmet Italian restaurant is going to open on the corner of Stuyvesant Avenue and Macon Street, what used to be Butternut Market’s tentative spot.  Another source says the owner of Saraghina is looking to open a spin-off restaurant.  Does anyone know if this is true?

The steel shutters are up, new windows in place.  Garbage has been hurled out.  The ceiling has been stripped, exposing wooden beams and incasedent lightbulbs. It’s been busy at the former Solomon’s Porch space (307 Stuyvesant Avenue between Halsey & Hancock Streets) for almost two weeks now.  This makeover comes in preparation for the long awaited and talked about Butternut Market. We’ll be talking to the owner about the organic and quality food market shortly.  More details to come within the next week or so.

I wanted to contact you to see if you know of any new development with the Butternut Market. I heard the project was on hold and I would be interested in talking to the owner of the building on a possible other use of the space until the project proceeds again, even if it is just temporary. Any idea of who the owner is or who I could contact? I would very much appreciate the help. Thank you.

If you know who owns the Butternut Market space (366 Lewis Avenue) (on Stuyvesant and Macon), then please post the information in the comments section below or send an email with the information to Violaine Haeringer at willardaz@gmail.com.

And while we’re at it, what’s the delay with Saraghina, that new brick oven pizza joint that was supposed to open on Lewis Avenue?

Coming Soon – Butternut Market in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn [PistachiOats]

StreetLevel: New Market for Bed-Stuy [Brownstoner]

The Inside Scoop on the New Deep Dish [Bed-Stuy Blog]