Happy Monday! Local Supply is kicking off Black History Month highlighting some of our talented Local Pop Up Black makers. Black History Month dates back to 1915 after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. That fall, Carter G. Woodson, an Harvard-trained historian, and Jesse E. Moorland, a prominent minister, founded the “Association for the Study of Negro Life and History” (ASNLH), an organization dedicated to researching and promoting Black American and African achievements. Now known as the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the group declared the second week in February to be a “National Negro History Week” in 1926 to coincide with Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass’s birthdays.
By the 1960s, awareness of Black identity grew thanks to this history week, evolving it into Black History Month on many college campuses. In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized February as Black History Month, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history” (history.com).
This year’s Black History Month theme is “African Americans and the Arts,” exploring the influence Black Americans have had on arts, literature, fashion, film, music, language, and other forms of cultural expression.
This Maker Monday, I’m featuring Lucretia Humphrey of Tranquil Healing Therapeutics. Lucretia specializes in massage therapy, and has her own handmade self care line of wax melts, body scrubs, candles, body butters, and more all made of natural ingredients. She also has her own apparel promoting the idea of “To Heal Within.” Understanding the power of touch motivated Lucretia to become a massage therapist. As someone who loves helping people, Lucretia strives to help facilitate the body’s natural ability to heal itself. The message of “To Heal Within” started as a hashtag to promote massage therapy and its ability to help the body naturally heal itself. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Lucretia went through a period of self-reflection that made that message become personal. She wants everyone to use “To Heal Within” as a message for their own personal growth to promote self-awareness.
Lucretia’s journey started after watching a commercial promoting a massage therapy program. After completing the program in 2006 from Blue Cliff College Shreveport, Lucretia felt an internal pressure to use her college degree she received prior in 2003 from Southern University and A&M College. For years, she struggled to find a balance between being a massage therapist and pursuing a career in HR or finance. Lucretia finally realized that her need to help people outweighed the pressure she was feeling. She states that being a massage therapist is a very rewarding profession, from being able to transfer energy to improving someone’s posture using touch and soft tissue manipulation. Her eyes were open to the talents God had blessed her with to fulfill her life’s purpose. Lucretia states that “most times, we stray away to learn a skill just so we can survive in this world until we understand our true purpose.” She was able to find her purpose and has, so far, enjoyed it for eighteen years.
During the Covid pandemic, Lucretia wasn’t able to provide massage therapy services, so she looked for other avenues to dabble in. She was already selling her first body care product, her “Head-to-Toe Body Butter,” and started selling aromatherapy candles that she burns while working with clients. As her product line kept growing in 2020, she officially started selling her brand “To Heal Within,” and now offers a wide range of natural products and apparel. She even tried to make Lemongrass and Tea Tree soap, but quickly realized that making soaps was not something she enjoyed doing. She loves making her body butters, and loves how much it helps other people.
Being a Black business owner comes with its own pros and cons. Lucretia states that people tend to get excited when they see a Black-owned business and usually want to support her. She also finds there are a lot of programs available in the community that help minority-women owned businesses. On the other hand, she finds that Black-owned businesses aren’t extended the same grace other businesses are given when mistakes are made. Most Black people start a business with limited resources and knowledge about starting a business. Having to learn as she goes puts her at a disadvantage, which can be overwhelming - especially when grace is not given.
Lucretia’s top three Black-owned businesses are Posh Pop, Pure Intentions Candle, and Donata Skinfood. As another Local Pop Up maker, Posh Pop is run by two sisters, and Lucretia admires their enthusiasm and passion for their business. It’s refreshing to see such young Black entrepreneurs progressing in their business, and seeing the support that they have. The owner of Pure Intentions Candle, Rochelle, is a former co-worker and friend. Lucretia’s been enjoying seeing the growth of Rochelle as she watches her friend embrace her dream by building the business. Rochelle is also someone that Lucretia can share ideas with, and they both encourage each other to keep working hard and pursuing their dreams. Lastly, Donata Skinfood is a Florida-based business that Lucretia sees as a virtual business mentor. Seeing this business owner expand her brand and restructure her brand to keep up with the ever-changing economy has been a true inspiration for Lucretia for her own business.
Outside of being a massage therapist, Lucretia spends what free time she has providing freelance services to other small businesses, such as website design and consulting (definitely reach out to her if you’re in the market!). She has even been dabbling with the idea of becoming a Continuing Education provider for massage therapy in the future. Currently, Lucretia is working hard to rebrand her business to match her “To Heal Within” message. During her downtime, she loves spending quality time with her friends and family, traveling, attending festivals, or lounging around and watching a good comedy.
As a member of Local Pop Up, you can catch Lucretia at some of the markets! She enjoys meeting the other makers at the markets, including Posh Pop, Delia V. Soaps, and Geaux Clear Co. Lucretia would even love to collaborate with Delia V. Soap Shop because of how much she loves her soaps. You can also find Lucretia’s wax melts inside Local Supply!
A huge thank you to Lucretia for being my first Maker Monday of the year and my first Black History Month feature! I’m so glad I’ve been able to meet such a comforting and down-to-earth person, and can’t wait to see where life continues to take you! Shop Lucretia’s wax melts in store at Local Supply, or online here. Support your local Black makers not only during the month of February, but year round!
